Upon downloading Kasumi’s Stolen Memory, players will be directed to the financial, political and economic hub of the Mass Effect galaxy – the Citadel. There, you meet with the Illusive Man’s latest addition to your team, Kasumi Goto. A talented infiltrator, Kasumi stays at the top of interstellar thievery by remaining anonymous. During Commander Shepard’s brief introduction, we learn that a device containing the memories of Kasumi’s deceased partner-in-crime, Kenji Okuda, has – ironically – been stolen by Donovan Hock, a nefarious and corrupt powerbroker. Kasumi’s price of admission to your team is a mission to Hock’s stronghold to recover the stolen memories. This assignment also forms Kasumi’s loyalty quest.
You meet with Kasumi on the Citadel.
Shepard, sporting brand new formal attire, infiltrates a party hosted by Hock and his minions, posing as a guest (or in the words of BioWare, by playing James Bond). Mingling with the crowd of party-goers, flipping a few switches and doing a little scouting, you eventually find a way into vault containing the stolen memories. This initial section of the downloadable content is an absolute pleasure, owing the atmosphere, humour and beautiful presentation. You are treated to a gorgeous vista from Hock’s balcony, and the babble from party guests is not only laughable, but also references your previous actions in the game (much like the radio broadcasts on any of the other hub worlds). The jokes continue once players enter the safe, by virtue of the iconic and prized artifacts from Earth adorning the vault floor (we won’t spoil any of them here).
From this point, things fall into the standard meld of Mass Effect combat, as players face waves of armoured henchmen and mechs in their escape from the vault. The usual cover-to-cover shooting and power usage continues and is as entertaining as ever, but with Kasumi as the only companion for the mission, gameplay pans out a little differently. Just towards the end, there’s a tough boss encounter to withstand, but victory comes with a great sense of satisfaction.
From start to finish, Kasumi’s Stolen Memory should take over an hour to complete. If you take the time to absorb all your surroundings, the experience is both longer and more enjoyable, so don’t feel the need to power through. In addition to the main mission, players can pick up a neat new SMG, tech upgrade and casual outfit for Shepard. Afterwards, you can also visit Kasumi in what was only remaining inaccessible area of the Normandy. The new hangout sports a bar and some of Kasumi’s fascinating decorations. Like the previous downloadable character Zaeed, there aren’t any conversation options with Kasumi, but she does have a few tit-bits to say about her past and a few comments specific to your choice of romance. If you chat with your personal assistant on the Normandy, Kelly Chambers, has some observations on the newest guest.
Kasumi’s talents make her an excellent thief and addition to your crew.
Kasumi’s quest is emotionally engaging, particularly after the revelation (albeit predictable) at the conclusion of the mission. Kasumi’s character has plenty of personality and it’s unfortunate that there aren’t any options for continued interaction. As a squad member, Kasumi comes with two new abilities that players may find useful, but she isn’t really a make or break addition to Shepard’s team.
Kasumi’s Stolen Memory maintains the excellent production values that we saw in Mass Effect 2, with slick presentation, flawless gameplay, a captivating new soundtrack and faultless voice acting. Special mention should be made of Kasumi’s voice work, which expertly adds shades of mystery and emotion to the character. The only real remaining question is whether the content is worth the price of admission. Mass Effect fans will unquestionably what to experience Kasumi’s quest, which plays like and as is every bit as good any other Mass Effect 2 mission. For everything it offers, the price may seem a tad high, but the feeling you come away with after playing negates any misgivings as to cost. Kasumi’s Stolen Memory is an enthralling new Mass Effect adventure that epitomises BioWare’s talents in role-playing and storytelling, and should not be missed.
Worth buying? Yes
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Downloadable content ratings system
We've given a 'buy' rating of 'Yes', 'Maybe', or 'No'.
Yes means that the content is either great value or brings some substantial additions to the game, or possibly both.
Maybe means that the content may be fun while it lasts, but may either be too short or not enough to fully justify the price tag.
No means that we don't recommend downloading this insubstantial content.
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