I’m always looking for any and all excuses to put Mass Effect 2 back in my 360′s disc tray. So it’s no surprise that I was more than happy to give the new DLC involving the enigmatic Kasumi Goto a try. As the download began I was struck with all of the prerequisite concerns: How long will it be? Will it be as good and memorable as the other squad missions? Will I actually give a crap about Kasumi?

Like any good tease I’m going to make you wait for the answers to these questions, but I can tell you right now they aren’t a bunch of “Noes”. Or “Yeses” for that matter.

Anyone with a copy of Mass Effect 2 and the Cerberus Network should have experienced the saga of Zaeed. Likewise, most of them probably felt the same as I did about the whole affair: Not enough character, the mission was too short and not actually being able to hold a real conversation with the man hurt my feelings. Seriously Bioware, ‘the heck? Because of their similar nature (mostly the whole “downloadable” thing) direct comparisons are pretty much unavoidable. So yes, Kasumi’s adventure does share a few unfortunate similarities to Zaeed’s, but it also manages to pull off a bit more.

Right from the start is one big red flag. You meet Ms. Goto the moment you set foot onto the Citadel, and are asked to help her with her “problem” just as fast. It’s exactly like Zaeed, only not on Omega. After hauling your new crew member aboard, you can go say “Hello” in the as-of-yet unused observation deck on your ship. Saying hello involves looking at crap in her room and listening to her talk about it. Just like Zaeed. Queue the exasperated sigh.

Kasumi’s mission, and the insight it provides to her character, is thankfully much improved.

You’ll have to team-up with the master thief and pull off an honest-to-goodness heist. Pretty much like a futuristic version of Ocean’s Eleven but simpler and with only two people. Donovan Hock is a dangerous man with dangerous friends, and the two of you will need to steal something very, very important from him. This equates to some hobnobbing at his swanky “Invitation Only” party, a little deception and a lot of sneaking around. It’s actually a very nice change of pace that, unfortunately, just doesn’t last long enough.

Eventually you’ll gain access to Hock’s vault, change out of your fancy party duds and back into your more comfy combat gear. Which means more shooting. Not a bad thing by any means, seeing as Mass Effect 2 does exceptional combat effortlessly, but a lengthier “sneaking mission” would have been a real treat. From there you’ll blast your way out of Hock’s Chateau of Death to get back to your ship and figure out just what’s so important about this “graybox.” It’s not much, but the last true dialogue scene with Kasumi (as well as any previous ones) does make her character quite likeable. She’s nowhere near as developed as your “on the disc” pals, but what’s there is much easier to connect to than Zaeed.

Of course, in a fight Kasumi’s real strengths begin to shine. She kicks the crap out of things, you see. Between her maxed-out Full Loyalty ability and her inherent “I will cloak myself, then creep up behind you and shove your face through a wall” (I never get tired of this one, by the way), she makes for a very capable addition to your squad.

But does all of this make it worth the cost of the download? I’d say yes. In fact I think Kasumi’s butt-kicking prowess alone is worth the cost of admission, but if you factor in the 2-hour long (give or take) mission full of all manner of nods to the first game, your exploits in the second game and even one notable “cameo” from a different Bioware title, it’s well worth your time and pocket change. Just be prepared to have an even tougher time deciding who to bring on a mission.

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Things We Liked: Kasumi is a great character with an interesting story, enjoyable personality and can hold her own in a fight better than some beefier squaddies. Numerous nods to previous Mass Effect adventures. Shepard’s reaction to “the statue” and a couple of the items in Hock’s vault are especially notable.

Things We Disliked: Still not enough. Kasumi’s interactions once the mission is over feel like wasted potential. Too much blasting, not enough heisting.

Target Audience: Mass Effect 2 owners. Seriously, that’s it – if you don’t own the game you can’t play it. If you do own it, then unless you hated the game there’s absolutely no reason to skip Stolen Memory.

(Kasumi – Stolen Memory: Mass Effect 2 DLC – Developer: BioWare. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Available on PC and Xbox 360 via Xbox Live – 360 version reviewed. A copy of the DLC was provided by the publisher for review purposes. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)