Review: Mass Effect 2: Kasumi - Stolen Memory

In my Mass Effect 2 review I praised BioWare's scribes for making me care about Shepard's crew and the future I painted for them. I didn't get the same feeling with Mass Effect 2's first DLC character, Zaeed. Unlike the other characters in the game, Zaeed doesn't open himself up to Shepard. He asks Shepard for help with one task, then retreats to the role of either a companion for war or a static background character on the Normandy II. He doesn't feel like he belongs in Shepard's crew. Kasumi's role is no different. She's just as much of a ghost as Zaeed is.

The "Kasumi - Stolen Memory" DLC pack carries a $7 pricetag, yet is designed identically to the free Zaeed pack, offering only one mission that lasts no longer than a half an hour. Although Shepard is never given the chance to truly get to know Kasumi, she proves to be an interesting character. She is first introduced on Citadel, but not in person. She chooses instead to confront Shepard through one of Citadel's advertisements. Her digitized face bounces as illusively as her words. After an all-too-brief conversation, she reveals her true self and boards the Normandy II.

Kasumi is the last to join my crew, yet somehow she has managed to secure the most lavish and livable quarters on the ship. Why did Shepard force people to live in the engine room and cargo hold when this beautiful room was left vacant? In her quarters Kasumi has full bar, a virtual reality machine, books galore, a desk, and a huge window looking out to the black beauty of space. Shepard can ask Kasumi about items in her quarters, but you cannot converse with her outright. Bummer.

To gain her loyalty, Kasumi asks Shepard to help her retrieve an item of sentimental value. Rather than bartering for it, Kasumi relies instead on her true calling in life, burglary. With a stealth suit and the know-how to crack any safe, this won't be a problem. This venture takes Shepard and crew to the planet Bekenstein in the Boltzmann system. Instead of backing up Kasumi with firepower, this mission forces Shepard into his or her best attire. I won't ruin the mission set up for you. It's unlike any other mission in Mass Effect 2, and requires you to think like a burglar. The second half of this mission falls back on the game's tried and true gunplay, and offers a handful of intense frays. Unfortunately, this mission ends with yet another battle against a warship. Is it required that every villain in the universe pilot one of these?

After making short work of the warship, Kasumi's emotions take center stage in a sequence that brings a bit of color to an otherwise faceless character. From this moment alone, Kasumi becomes an interesting character. I just wish I could get to know her better.

I walked away from this mission with a greater appreciation of Mass Effect 2 as a whole, but also with the feeling that I was only getting a small taste of what Mass Effect 2 really is. If you want to expand your knowledge of this universe's fiction, jump right in. This DLC's narrative adds another interesting layer to this robust universe, including a small detail that will make you want to travel to Earth (Mass Effect 3, perhaps?). The DLC is also worth investing in if you plan on playing Mass Effect 2 again or for the first time. Kasumi's stealth abilities make her a lethal combatant.