One thing Ubisoft has done a great job of with Far Cry 5 is providing multiple experiences from the same base-taking formula. By Far Cry 3 they had cracked the code for making a fun sandbox action-rpg, with the stand alone DLC "Blood Dragon" they were able to see how it could be used in just about any setting, and we are now enjoying the benefits of these discoveries.
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The problem is that Ubisoft's specialty is big ideas, not good writing. In the "Lost on Mars", the newest DLC following "Hours of Darkness", we are put in the shoes of former NPC Nick Rye and whisked off to Mars for a big fight with monsters. It's a cool, b-movie inspired sci-fi expansion to a game series that dances along the border of sci-fi and supernatural. The big idea part is great, the moment to moment... not so much.
The monsters you fight have no personality, and they're not supposed to. In fact, they intentionally telegraph the twist of who the real villain is from the very first scene. The problem here is that it takes all of the joy from fighting the enemies in the game. They go from being creatures you're emotionally invested in defeating to annoyances you want to get by as quickly as possible.
It's not all bad news. Fighting the 15 gigantic "Queen" aliens is incredibly fun for the challenge, and comes with a rad soundtrack that puts you in that bug-battlin' mood. Additionally, the new mechanics and weaponry are fun to experiment with.
It's definitely worth the $9.99 they're asking for, but it fell well short of the greatness that was "Blood Dragon". Here's hoping that the upcoming "Dead Living Zombies" DLC rises higher than Mars.