Mass Effect 2: Kasumi - Stolen Memory is a compact DLC loyalty mission built around a clean shift in pace: first you infiltrate Donovan Hock’s party with Kasumi Goto, then the heist turns into cover-heavy combat through the vault escape and gunship finale.
Content warning: this guide covers an M-rated science-fiction action RPG mission with gun violence, blood, strong language, drug references, and sexual-content descriptors from the wider Mass Effect 2 package. The advice below stays focused on gameplay.
This guide is for the original Mass Effect 2 DLC, the current Mass Effect 2 (2010 Edition) bundle, and Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Access and tuning can differ by platform or package, so treat exact ownership screens and button prompts as version-specific.
Essential Tips
1. Bring a Flexible Shepard Build
The mission starts social, but it does not stay that way.
The party section lets you walk, talk, inspect, and solve the vault access problem without your armor, but the second half is a straight Mass Effect 2 combat gauntlet. Expect shields, armor, mechs, mercenary waves, and a gunship. If Shepard’s class struggles against shields or synthetics, lean harder on Kasumi’s Overload and keep a weapon plan ready before you leave the vault.
2. Do the Mission When Kasumi Can Help, Not Carry
Kasumi is useful, but she is not a full squad.
This is her loyalty mission, so she is locked in as your partner during the combat act. She can cloak, strike, and handle shields, but you only have Shepard and Kasumi instead of a full three-person squad. If you are playing on a higher difficulty, do not rush into the mission underleveled just because it appears early.
3. Treat the Party as a Checklist
The vault is opened by solving three separate problems.
You need Hock’s voice, Hock’s DNA, and the barrier power shutoff. When you are wandering the party, keep those three jobs in mind. If you feel lost, stop exploring randomly and ask which of the three vault locks you have not solved yet.
4. Keep Hock Talking
The voice sample is safer than it looks.
Your goal in conversation is not to win an argument. It is to give Kasumi enough material to work with. Use strong morality options if you have them, or choose lines that keep Hock speaking. Once Kasumi has enough, move on instead of looping the room.
5. Prefer the Clean Private-Quarters Route
The subtle DNA route avoids needless early damage.
You can force the private-quarters entry through the balcony, but that turns the infiltration into combat before you have to. The cleaner route is to use the security office information, let Kasumi spoof the guard communications, then enter Hock’s room and scan the useful objects there. Save the messy option for a replay or a route where you want the extra fight.
6. Disable the Barrier Before You Overthink the Vault
The power source is environmental, not a combat puzzle.
After Kasumi adjusts your Omni-Tool, follow the power clue and look for the fireplace statue area. The party floor has distractions, but the barrier solution is simple once you stop treating it like a dialogue branch.
7. Pick Up the M-12 Locust Before the Graybox
The weapon reward is easy to walk past in the excitement.
The vault contains the graybox and the M-12 Locust SMG. Grab the Locust before committing to the graybox sequence. It is a strong short-to-mid-range SMG and can immediately matter for Shepard or squadmates who can use it.
8. Spend Kasumi’s Points Before the Shuttle
Her powers are part of the difficulty curve.
Shadow Strike gives Kasumi burst pressure from cloak, Overload helps against shields and synthetics, and her passive improves her reliability. Flashbang Grenade is tied to loyalty, so it matters after the mission; during the mission, build her for what you need most in the upcoming fights.
9. Watch Spawn Directions in the Escape
The mission likes to pressure your cover from the sides.
After the vault, enemies do not politely stay in front of you. Eclipse troops, vanguards, engineers, LOKI mechs, and YMIR mechs can punish players who tunnel on the first target. Shift cover deliberately and clear flankers before they collapse your angle.
10. Save Heavy Tools for Mechs and the Gunship
The biggest threats are not ordinary troopers.
Basic mercs are dangerous because they create pressure, but the YMIR fights and Hock’s gunship are where poor resource use hurts. Use anti-armor, anti-shield, and synthetic answers with intent. If you have heavy weapon ammo, spend it where it changes the fight, not on the first small wave.
Party and Vault Plan
Think of the infiltration as three locks around one prize:
| Vault Need | Practical Goal | Clean Habit |
|---|---|---|
| Voice sample | Keep Hock speaking long enough for Kasumi | Choose dialogue that extends the conversation |
| Password/security | Enter the security office and use the datapad | Clear the room, collect medigel/credits, then read carefully |
| DNA | Reach Hock’s private quarters and scan useful items | Use the guard-clearance route before trying the balcony |
| Barrier power | Track the power source near the fireplace statue | Follow the environmental clue instead of searching every guest |
Once all three pieces are done, return to the vault and be ready for the mission to change tone. Before triggering the graybox sequence, check the vault space, collect the Locust, and mentally switch from infiltration pacing to firefight pacing.
Kasumi and Reward Priorities
Kasumi’s best contribution is targeted disruption. Shadow Strike is excellent when a specific enemy needs to be interrupted or finished, while Overload gives you an answer to shields and synthetics. Against mechs, her kit can cover a Shepard build that lacks enough tech pressure.
The loyalty result is forgiving: the final graybox decision changes Kasumi’s emotional outcome, but either choice earns her loyalty. That means you should make the decision based on your Shepard’s roleplay instead of worrying that one option breaks the reward path.
Do not forget why the mission is valuable beyond the story. You gain Kasumi as a loyal squadmate, unlock her loyalty power afterward, and leave with the Locust plus an upgrade and resources if you searched thoroughly. For many players, the Locust alone makes this DLC worth doing before several later missions.
Combat Survival
The second half rewards patience. Open fights from cover, strip defenses before spending burst damage, and reposition before enemies turn a clean angle into a crossfire. If a YMIR mech appears, stay at a distance where you can break line of sight, then burn it down with tech powers, heavy weapons, and accurate fire.
The mass accelerator cannon sequence is a useful reminder that not every obstacle is solved by clearing every target first. When the mission gives you a device that opens the route and damages enemies near the breach, use it decisively, then sweep the room before moving on.
For Hock’s finale, assume the center of the arena is temporary cover, not a home. The gunship can punish exposed positions, while mercenary waves and drones pull attention away from the real threat. Clear immediate flankers, listen for wave cues, and move to stronger cover when the fight resets. Once the shielded phase ends, treat the gunship like a priority boss target and finish it before small enemies drag the fight out.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not start the mission too early on high difficulty - Kasumi is your only squadmate during the combat act, so an underbuilt Shepard has less backup than usual.
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Do not treat the party as random exploration - Track voice, DNA, and barrier power as three required vault jobs.
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Do not rush Hock’s conversation - Kasumi needs enough voice material, so keep him talking instead of ending the exchange quickly.
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Do not force the balcony route first - The guard-clearance path is cleaner and avoids extra private-quarters combat.
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Do not open the graybox before taking the Locust - Pick up the SMG while you are still calmly inspecting the vault.
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Do not ignore Kasumi’s Overload - It is one of your best tools when shields, synthetics, and mechs start appearing.
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Do not sit in weak center cover during the gunship fight - Shift to safer angles before rockets, drones, and flanking waves trap you.
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Do not choose the ending based on loyalty fear - Kasumi becomes loyal either way, so make the graybox call for your Shepard.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Timing | Run the mission when Shepard can survive two-person combat |
| Infiltration | Solve voice, DNA, and barrier power as separate vault tasks |
| Dialogue | Keep Hock talking until Kasumi has enough voice material |
| DNA | Use the security-office setup for a cleaner private-quarters route |
| Rewards | Take the M-12 Locust before triggering the graybox sequence |
| Kasumi | Use Overload and Shadow Strike to cover shield, synthetic, and burst needs |
| Mechs | Save strong tech, heavy ammo, and distance control for YMIR fights |
| Finale | Treat Hock’s gunship as the priority once the arena opens up |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Mass Effect 2: Kasumi - Stolen Memory.
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