Mass Effect is categorically my favorite RPG of all time. My loyalties have oscillated considerably between BioWare and Bethesda for some time now. But most recently, Mass Effect 2 has significantly tipped the scales in BioWare's favor. The saga (in both the new story and continuation of your past decisions), character development, locations, and twitch-based tactical gun-play are, in my opinion, unparalleled. The only other game that comes close was KOTOR II, and that too doesn't remotely fall into the same category. I can't remember the last time I was this emotionally vested in a game, its characters and its lore. Losing teammates in the final struggle had a subtle somberness and a lasting impact, the results of your decisions reverberating through the crescendo event, reminding you every step of the way that what you do ultimately matters.

The DLCs through the Cerberus Network expands the universe further in both tangible and intangible ways. New weapons and armor are cool, but they do little to advance the storyline. Much as I hated Zaeed and his 'my veteran dick is bigger than your rookie dick' attitude, his loyalty mission was quite a lot of fun. Firewalker promises to add a ton of new content and continue to expand the universe.



Most recently at GDC, the name of the first DLC outside the Cerberus Network was released, named
Kasumi's Stolen Memory. Here is what we know about it:

---> Approximately 90 minutes of content
---> Kasumi the thief, a new character with her loyalty mission, story and background
---> A suave disguise to undertake a secretive mission, Casino Royale-esque infiltration and espionage and a run in with a corrupt art dealer
---> 'Locust' SMG, flash-bang grenade loyalty power, new achievement

What intrigues me is that you can play this DLC during a current playthrough, or you undertake this DLC after the completion of the main storyline. This is where things get tricky. What if the choices you made resulted in Shepard's death? How would you engage this content then? In that case, can you only enjoy this DLC if your Shepard makes it through? Because that's just lame.