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Destroy the Child

Biotech is Rimworld's third DLC, and I'd say it's probably the best of the four (so far). Biotech is one of those odd case DLCs where you kind of forget that you have it because it becomes such an integral part of the game, that you start to not remember what the original game was like before you had it. Essentially, what this game adds is BABIES, mechanitors, xenohumans, and genetic modification (essentially an off-shoot of the xenohuman aspect). The core of this DLC I would say revolves around the xenohumans, which, idk the proper term for it, so I'll just say it adds "races" to the game alongside what is considered a "baseline" human. To be clear, they are technically just genetically modified humans, so they're not like aliens or anything. Most if not all xenohumans have some sort of "niche" that they fill, like the Hussars are great for combat and the Dirtmoles are good at digging. However, they also have some kind of drawback. Hussars require go-juice to live, while Dirtmoles are sensitive to light and have poor eyesight. You can find these xenotypes in other factions, and they integrate with other DLCs. For example, in the Royalty DLC, the Empire faction will often use Hussars for combat roles.
If the base xenotypes don't fit your fancy, you may manipulate your xenogerm, at the cost of "metabolic efficiency". This means that "good genes" essentially makes your character require food more, while "bad genes" make them require food less. You have to try to balance it out to create a suitable character, assuming you've found desirable "genepacks". It can be fun to mess around with if you have the patience for searching for packs, but I usually stick with the premade xenotypes in the game.
One of the xenotypes given particular attention is the Sanguophages. They are basically vampires that require long resting periods, the Deathrest, where they can develop abilities. Gonna be honest, I just find having them in your group to be a chore and I don't get the appeal. Yes, they have unique powers and are objectively stronger than a standard pawn, but you have to treat them differently than other pawns and may even end up babysitting them (usually because of confusing supply-demand issues with the "hemogen packs". Like, just drink blood). It's kind of like a Royalty psychic power issue. Is it worth it to have this special character that you've been cultivating and treating specially? No, they're going to still die against a raid group. They just might resurrect after.
As for the mechanoid content, I honestly didn't understand it at first. Mechanoids as pawns are basically like pets, but are attached to the new mechanitor unit. The problem is that, if you aren't really aware of what's going on, you might skip over this content entirely for quite some time. You basically have one shot to get the mechanitor on your first map, outside of a few exceptions, all dependent on you getting that implant on the first map. Regardless, mechanoids, as stated, are pets dependent on a bandwith, increased by defeating bosses. They're mainly used for combat, but the more you use them, the more they "recharge" and generate "pollution". It's an extra something to do, even if I don't use it personally, and I appreciate it being in the game.
The final part of this game is child rearing. You can build nurseries, mix and match genomes to try to produces genetic horrors, and give your children PTSD. Most of the time, though, children will act like regular pawns outside of their infancy stage, even able to shoot things. If you're bored, you can even speed up their growth through the settings or with a special building in the game. It'd be nice if there was a bit more "interactivity" or "influence" coming from your part in regards to the development of colonists, but oh well. Still, I do believe that, overall, with the base game and this DLC, that the game is objectively better.

Pros:


I really like the xenotype concept. Although, lore-wise, it's not adding aliens, it's like you're adding aliens to the game.
Child rearing feels like an essential aspect of the game that should have been a part of it to begin with (although I understand why it was added later).
Option to customize your own genes instead of being limited to presets, even before starting a game if you don't want to bother hunting for packs.
I think that this DLC adds enough to justify its price, becoming such a significant part of the game that you forget that it wasn't part of it to begin with. It adds a robust depth that the original was starting to lack, therefore enhancing playtime and longevity.
Although I didn't touch on it much, I like the boss gauntlet aspect of the mechanitor path. Wish there were more. Like through a mod or something (this is sarcasm because I am aware there is a mod).
Comically oversized guns for children.


Cons:


This is more of a pet-peeve, but if you're going to add gene customization, I think the option to remove metabolism when making them should be included. The game already has this kind of setting for other mechanics, so it was strange it didn't for here. Otherwise, the customization makes you feel like you're "shot down" when you want to make a fun combination, only to be thrown off by the arbitrary limits.
The Sanguophages are just annoying to have in your colony. I didn't like them as an addition and I feel that the resources spent to have them be such a focus, should have instead been spread out to make more unique mechanics for the other xenotypes.
I feel like there should have been more control over rOmAnCe, rather than it being mostly random, and I'm not just saying that from a roleplay perspective. Most of it is currently based on chance with little influence from you. I get that that's not the "Rimworld way", but it teases it by giving you a really low percentage to have some influence sometimes, so there seems to be a bit of conflict here.
More could have been done with the pollution mechanic. Really, it's just an inconvenience at most.
Rimworld Biotech is the only DLC (as of now) that doesn't add an ending. Just feels weird considering the content added. Like, even Ideology and Royalty added endings.
Where's my water-type xenotype?

Verdict: 9/10