Mass Effect 2: Kasumi's Stolen Memory Review

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April 7, 2010 - Electronic Arts and BioWare have decided that the glorious days where all downloadable content for Mass Effect 2 is free are over. After that string of free missions and weapons comes Kasumi's Stolen Memory. This download will set you back 560 Microsoft points (US $7). In return, you get a new crew member, roughly an hour of added gameplay, and a few other little goodies to help upgrade your party. All of it is a great deal of fun, but it does feel as if one thing is holding things back.

Kasumi's Stolen Memory is short.

Upon buying the download and booting up Mass Effect 2, you'll receive a notice that a new mission has been made available. Kasumi's story plays out like any other loyalty quest and lasts about the same amount of time. Simply zip over to the Citadel to meet up with her and she'll direct you to a new star system to start the adventure.

During the course of Kasumi's quest, you'll do a little bit of everything. There is of course a heavy dose of combat that puts you up against various mechs and soldiers, though none of the foes are anything you haven't seen before. In between fights you'll find a new SMG and some credits, upgrades, and minerals that anybody still working through the story will appreciate.

The real fun comes before the combat. Kasumi is a master thief and so her mission involves infiltrating an extravagant party in order to find a way into the vault of stolen goods below. Here Shepard has to take on the persona of James Bond, talking his way into places he shouldn't be while peeling back the layers of security. It's quite a bit of fun and for me was the highlight of the download.

It helps that Kasumi's Stolen Memory feels like a complete mission that doesn't suffer from the lack of polish plaguing so many other downloadable add-ons. The environments look great with a superb imagination and attention to detail in full effect. Kasumi's story is quite strong -- and rather touching -- as well.

Everything is done exceptionally well here, but that doesn't take away the fact that it only last about an hour. Once you're done, you can select her as a party member for battles or visit her on the Normandy to listen to a few lines of dialogue, but you can't directly interact with her the way you can with other crew members.

Closing Comments
Kasumi's Stolen Memory is a great little quest, but for most the "little" part will be a sticking point. At roughly an hour in length, this is one download that doesn't offer a lot of bang for your buck.