Since it’s release, Mass Effect 2 has had a fair amount of DLC for fans to enjoy in addition to what is already a fantastic and lengthy game. Fans who bought the game new and have a Cerberus Network membership have also been able to enjoy this content for free.
The latest DLC rolled out by BioWare, titled “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” costs 560 points (aka $7) and features a new squad character, loyalty mission, weapon, research upgrade, casual outfit and an Achievement.
While this may sound like a decent amount of content for the price, the reality is that the short loyalty mission and underdeveloped squad member make any price point for this DLC questionable, especially since the comparable Zaeed DLC is free.
The new character, Kasumi Goto, is a master thief with an energetic attitude, but she is barely built up as an interesting character. Aside from the Cerberus email to Shepard regarding her background, players are not given much information about her. Given the quality background and development of Shepard’s other squad members, Kasumi sticks out as an underdeveloped and ultimately forgettable teammate, which is unfortunate when considering how rich ME 2‘s cast is as whole.
Her loyalty mission is interesting and fun enough while it lasts, and is graphically up to par with the rest of ME 2. But staging a heist to infiltrate the criminal Donovan Hock’s vault at his gaudy estate only sounds exciting, and just doesn’t seem to receive the same love and attention the other loyalty missions got. For paid content, I would’ve appreciated something that lasted a bit longer than the 25 minutes or so I spent on Kasumi’s loyalty mission. I also found the lack of meaningful conversations disappointing as well, since talking with people is one of ME 2‘s strengths.
Also, like Zaeed, Shepard won’t be able to have any conversations with Kasumi onboard the Normandy. This baffles me because it seems like a great opportunity to expand on her character without interrupting the flow and structure of the missions already in place, but she only offers some unique comments throughout the mission.
The rest of the content, like the new casual outfit and SMG weapon, are also unremarkable. Depending on the type of character you’ve chosen, using the new SMG might not even be an option, and the casual outfit is only wearable when on the Normandy.
Rounding out this disappointing DLC is one Achievement for 15g, which is awarded upon completion of Kasumi’s loyalty mission.
It’s not that “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is bad content, it’s just disappointing and seems like a missed opportunity. It also doesn’t help that the amount and quality of that content is comparable to something that is already free. And I’m not complaining that this DLC costs money either, but it seems like it might have made more sense to release it for free and charge for something more substantial down the road, like Bring Down The Sky for ME 1. However, this not the case, and I can only recommend “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” for the hardcore ME 2 fans eagerly looking to expand their experience with this incredible game.
