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Name of the app you are reviewing: Mystic Messenger v1.18.9 - Unlimited Hourglasses, Infinite Hearts Hack & Anti Ban (updated)
Link to the content on our site you're reviewing (optional): Mystic Messenger v1.18.9 - Unlimited Hourglasses, Infinite Hearts Hack & Anti Ban (updated) Mod apk
A slice of life/drama/romance that start when our character without context, go to an apartment that automatically downloads a private app messenger; and have the opportunity to socialize with a group of strangers who know each other.
Review:
This it's one of my favorite otome game, it's great; and i have a lot to laurels not just to the game but Cheritz itself too, along Sbenny (with respective bones, too).
The story start when our character, a woman (called MC) goes to an apartment because a man tell her to do so, (she's gullible) because he lost his phone, and she recovered. This house doesn't have a Key but a tactile screen that it's mean to be the door from this mysterious house; inside, we got now to the message chat from this group of strangers that know each other; but not us. In just the first chat (the mechanic it's like a real whatsapp or telegram chat with multiple participants at the same time, tipping) the inmersion effect it's immediate, we get the core of each character known, what maybe their personality it's gonna go from, who tickles our tummy first, and how we can participate ourselves in the conversation.
There's usually three different options to choose from, what are we going to say; sometimes four but those are rare, same as two. The people in the chat are flabbergasted that somebody have find the way to sign in this app, that, one of the characters which it's a skilled hacker called 707 (Luciel) create and share the download item for originally just 7 persons. After the intro, we get to know everybody personally and experience the app at our rhymnt... The game use the in real time dynamic, were you can see the time at the top of the screen, along with the infamous hourglasses and hearts.
The heart counts it's the increase (or decreased) appreciation with all the available characters (5), at first. The hourglasses are the currency you can obtain for free in chats, a random gift from another feature called 707 spaceship we see at the bottom row of the screen, exchange for 100 hearts, or pay with real money. Something that Mystic Messenger when i used to play (and i'll dare to say still) it's very up in regards of quality and trendsetting features, stand out of other otome games for it's in game dynamic, storytelling and premise. Stand his place after much time, i haven't play but i remember wholeheartedly.
The story advance through chats, can be with one participant or multiple throughout the day, at particular hours (remember, the game use in time mechanic like Animal Crossing); at the beginning we have three different routes with three different characters, so it depends of us trying to get close to that persona in the first 3 days, at day 4 if you haven't accumulated enough appreciation hearts from your interest character (at first, the one's that are available for you) you get the bad ending number 1 because you didn't decide who you wanted to be.
This app it's created for the Rika's Fundraising Association (RFA in acronym) for give away to charity through an extravagant and grandeur party annually, Rika it's an important center character of the story, and the Fundraising it was named after her with help from her probably multimillionaire boyfriend, called V (Jihyun Kim) share the same ideals of utopian world peace. She dies and the organization decide to continue with their operations, so that's the role of our character to do after she found herself in the apartment she got in, in the first place. Each route have a length of 11 in real time days (unless you purchase the VIP package that gives you 1k of hourglasses, and can unlocked multiple chats or days at the same time, or max speed to get through faster), opportunistically the encounter with our character and the RFA members it's close to the annual party. The story comes around the dynamic of how Rika was alive, the success of past parties and backstory to each character; and even backstory on other characters without choosing them principally.
Through the day you get the opportunity to get into the chats, accumulated hearts, got the sporadic hourglasses and from time to time, depending of our choices, you receive emails from the potential guests to come to our fundraising part at Day 11; and convince them to come. In the app we get different sections, one for emails for guest, other for emails between other members, and the chats divided them on days.
There's multiple endings in the game; bad, normal and one good winning. At first we have the opportunity to choose 3 different characters from the category named Casual Story (Yoosung, Rika's cousin; Jaehe, personal assistant from Jumin Hae, a billionaire friend of V; and Zen, a famous idol who Rika love immensely and she invited herself to be part of the Association), after complete all of the stories, and hopefully save enough hourglasses, we can unlock Deep Story, to add other deep layers to the ongoing story of the RFA association and what makes stick all the members, with respective backstories... In Deep Story the first 4 days are the same as in Casual story, and change at Day 5, with the fan-favorite beloved 707 and Jumin Hae.
A next add later on they include a third category called ''After Story'' where we can choose between other two characters, one it's V which we can socialize with him in Casual and Deep Stories routes but can't win hearts from him, except in the After Story section... And a character that we get to know in 707 route but that we have interact since the beginning, called Ray or Unknown; and have the opportunity to get from this story all characters perspectives to complemented a well crafted and mature story.
One of the outstanding aspects of this game it's the inmensirve elements, and calculated effective sense of realism we get. The in use in real time from the phone (an a incredible acuted security coming from Cheritz to, if accidentally or wittily-attempt we change the hour from our device to advance or retroced to get a chat we lost, or advance the story because the next chat it's in 4 hours; we received a warning) it's not a magical tool to succeed in the awaited emotional investment of the player; it have to make sense, it's intrusive but if we have something of quality in exchange, we can allow that invasion of privacy, and well; with a game like Mystic Messenger, it's not just successful, but we get hyperfocused on it, creating alarms for the between 7 to 12-13 different chats around the day), than we accepted without any problem, and the calls we received from time to time are very much worth it, very very much, as well as the work of the voice actors, great work. Small details like the fact MC we can named how we want, and even use a picture of us, it's noteworthy of the structured core base the business implemented, well done.
There's thousands of guides to each chat to receive hearts, hourglasses and direct our route to an specific character (both from the Casual and Deep story, the After Story routes are from the beginning programed to go either go to V or Ray), and to get so loved calls. As much it's expeditiously implemented, it's gonna received a bone, eventually.
The visuals and characterization of the game, it's so well done, so much that i couldn't evitate seeing a lot of features implemented (and programed differently) on another casual game dating app called ''Mechat'', the influence it's noteworthy. Through the story goes along, we have so short animated cuts with the characters in their everyday settings (707 in his luxury and extravagant house, Jumin in his office or in his penthouse with her cat named Elizabeth, Jaehe in her office, and Yoosung on his bedroom or college classrooms) special effects in the voice actors giving life to the characters in between messages in the chats, the look of the app itself, the stylish notifications we received, the email interface, the chat interface; Cheritz took their time to make it look beautifully done and instantly recognizable. And as time pass by, the variable different styles from each character for festive days it's well received, even from a player who haven't touch the app since 2017-2018 like me.; the images quality and design are superb.
The story it's something i like it a lot, usually otome games (and game apps in particular) have light narratives which are well received, just because they're light doesn't mean they are badly done or badly executed, Mystic messenger, as deep we get; it have it's considerable amount of darkness; talking about human manipulation proselytism tactics for cult recruitment, the effects of dealing with a ruthless and borderline careless family member, the dealing with ongoing suicide tendencies during daily routine, long lasting grief, interaction with disabilities both for the mind and the body (One of the characters, V, it's suffering from an aggressive and progressive loss of vision, and 707, the fan-beloved character have his dealing with Post-traumatic stress disorder after a disturbing event in his childhood), and from a more subtle end: we read between lines critics from the insane amount of pressure and infelicity koreans face every day (the game it's based in South Korea) and the loss of dignity (something that Ray, and the backstory of Rika are impregnated). It's great for me, because this it's another example of how animated or cartoon games can be oriented to young adults, and break one game at a time the stigma of constant and imposed infantilization.
The sizeable amount of depth and layers this story could integrate without having the sensation of stretching it because of the lack of ideas, or illogical development. It's noteworthy, i haven't play the multiple options for festive routes or days, but i have play all Casual, Deep and one After story route to notice the hard work for respecting and enriching the story. It's a story that stays with you, for the better or worse, that depends of how you take it.
The chat interface it's intelligent, we decide to answer however we want; although if you're interested on get the happy ending alone, it's for the better to use a guide; at least for me it didn't ruin the first impressions and surprises, because i only read the next chat i received depending of the hour or day i was in, and not all of it like a book or an article. And it's for the better to not lose much of the chats, the game require to have at least 50% of the full day to advance fluidly.
The inclusion of well done multiple languages in apps, it's very much celebrated for me, for players who don't know english (and i should be happy to with it, the original version it's in korean; and i don't know korean).
An outstanding aspect of it's that we don't pay hourglasses to choose a dialogue, we can do it for free, something i disagree lots with Mechat for the lack of surprise or change of story direction, i don't hold it against; here we have 7 characters (if you now, you now) and more condensed and easy way to control the quality and development for each one of them, in mechat we have around 200+ characters, so the amount of material differs, and deadlines too, two different management of productivity and advancing in both apps.
Other outstanding point of this game it's the fact that, with an organized and planned way to game; we can obtain all the story categories without spending a dime (although if i haved the money, i'll throw it at Cheritz without thinking twice, and then to Sbenny for having the ability to hack this rigid security branch of the game to maintain their serves for one full year) different from Mechat, if we lost a chat we can get it for hourglasses, or purchasing a full day; but we don't have special chat options for hourglasses, and the only way to spend all of them it's to recall the lost calls we didn't get to answer. Very much appreciated when a business gives free players, with effort, options to enjoy that way; i deeply respect businesses who take this route, because it's worth the loyalty for the in-time as much as the payed players too, something in my humble review in this site i applaud and largely celebrated and laureate Cheritz for doing it (the same as Sybo games, the developer of Subway Surfers, and modders from Sbenny who share his hard work in exchange of a like).
I have few bones for Miss Mystic Messenger, but they're there.
The in time mechanic relies on FOMO, even if you read the guides for chats to see if you want to participate or not; this it's something in After Story it's worse; we have infamous chats at 12 or 3 am in Casual/Deep routes, but in After Story we can easily have one at 12, other one at 2, and other one at 6; the most bizarre hours, with little time in between. If a chat stars at 12 am and the next one at 2 am, we have two hours to activate it or we'll lost it; and after story the chats take way more time than in Casual/Deep (most of them, ofc). This game will mess up with your sleep, even if you purchase once hourglasses, unlock days and loss chats increase each time. It's impossible to evitate this, because the first three routes, for 11 days; you have to spend a full month to finish it, and then 22 days for the deep story to get it. You have here 2 months of not great sleeping for getting each single heart to have enough to purchase After Story, to unlocked you'll need 550 hourglasses, which it's a total of 55k hearts. I still remember and still hold against the game (one of the reasons i never go back to the game to play Ray route and trying to unlocked special stories from festivities), when i used to play it to wake up with my alarm at 2:45 am with my tablet directly to the guide, semi-sleep trying to get the correct answers to a chat, or calculating that if i want it to play a chat at 6:45 am and the next one was at 8:12 am, i could sleep a little more up to 8:04 am to take the phone, wait for the app to open, praying for having an active internet connection and open the app, mostly in my old phone it took time to open for it; there was situations i woke up 3 minutes before and lost the opportunity to enter the chat room because it was too late after i could got in the app, or because i was reading the guide, my phone got locked and lost the progress; just vile and awful.
The more guest you achieve to convince to get to the party, you get one hourglass (there's a total of 75+ guests available, more of them after unlocking after story content, however, you can do this once, and you have to answer three exchanging emails with correct answers to secure their presence at day 11); so that means you have to play multiple times for all routes to get enough if you don't have the opportunity to purchase hourglasses, or have a weak self-control and spend all of them to call characters all the time or a hectic day and you lose chats all the time; even in chats you don't get much hearts, or you choose a character than doesn't give much hearts (Jumin and Jaehee are some of them), you can easily spend in this cycle for more than 3 months as a free player, or a one time pay player for a reduce number for in game currencies.
The emotional investment it's not that subtlety exploited for maintaining us at the merge of this strict time schedule for the chats every day. It's the awful side of such polished feature created from Cheritz successfully at the beginning, and at the end; it plays more in favor than against, in a tiny ethic line, that abuse but give you something in quality exchange to forget about it; a somewhat light toxic relationship, or for the less melodramatic; a human relationship.
Maybe it's me, but falling in love so quickly it's unrealistic; something all otome games suffer greatly from. Important to stand out.
The revisiting and replayability it's there with the multiple endings add it, although it's appreciated from an extension of lore, storytelling, sense of realism with the consequences of our desitions and game content free and for paying customers. It's not my cup of tea, i don't have that much interest on it; i just wanted the happy ending and that's it; and you resent inmensilly the replaying to get the hourglasses or hearts to purchase them, to unlocked After Story; you have the opportunity to directly unlock to Day 4 when the routes start but with the cost of 100 hourglasses. Once you finished, you're basically done with the game at that point, unless you wanna unlocked the festivities days that, if i don't remember incorrectly; between 1 or 3 days, depending of the festivity itself (april fool's in 1 day, valentine's day it's 1 day, christmas it's 3 days) and some DLC's. It's not worth it having it on your phone for more the time you spend finishing it, and basically it.
and the last for me, it's the heaviness of the emotional weight and dynamic from After story, it's more exigent with the strange hours from chats, the density of each one that drains you (specially if you are trying to get the achievement for finishing all the days in 100% activity), each chat in AS can take you as much as 10-20 minutes, they're long girl, and the repay in hourglass it's non-existing almost; you got it compensated with the amount of hearts received. The emotional weight it's a lot, not only from an story perspective but how the events evolve, and you stand there; happy you finish, but aggrieved for lacking sleep and even in sense of story treatment, i can talk about V specially because i didn't want it to play with Ray, it's not because i don't like him but i couldn't take anymore the constant demand for the game; and personally the insatisfaction the V storyline got me on; his distant, he doesn't even kiss or have an intimate moment with MC, the inflict intimacy it's not effective, it's bad ; we're second plate food for him because he's obsessed with Rika who actively use him , regardless her probably undiagnosed mental illness; even the after stories with a daughter, we don't have a real connection with the man, what that hell.
Speaking of Rika, Yoosung didn't deserve to lose an eye in the good ending, poor boy; he didn't deserve to have a borderline psychopathic cousin like Rika.
Also, i think a route with Rika were she can change it's a territory i'm willing to go back to the game, i think it can be helped for empathy, the power of redemption, mental health among other themes.
Maybe, this it's another me problem or weak point: but, i'll like that the Jaehee route, the only available women character, could be include as a romantic interest instead of a friend dynamic. There's a heteronormative enviroment in the game, something that even as sloppy could get in Mechat, it was appreciated for me, the attempt. I think South Korea as improved with their in home and telephone technology, renewable energy, and entertainment products are very advanced and innovative; they still have this sense of retrogradation when it comes to diversity in sexuality and gender (among other points); something i've been appreciating not just in casual app games (I think it's badly categorize Mystic Messenger in casual, there's nothing casual about it's dynamic) and more committed and long games like the Persona series, specially Persona 5 and Persona 4 (coming from Atlus, a japanese business); it can be nice to choose your gender.
I read about Ray storyline, and it seems more worthy and a little more satisfied than V storyline itself, but again; the deadness of the lacking of sleep, and the emotional weight that doesn't prepared you, specially the in date mechanic were we are directly talking with the characters (this it's something more prominent in after story and up to a certain extension, Deep story; than casual routes) to experience myself in the in-game, instead of just reading about it, maybe the difference relays that Ray it's emotionally more expressive and open to the chapter of being with us than V itself, which it's basically pushing himself to be intimate when, crealy, he's not; and he personally it's a very reserved person; which i'm not against, but let's give natural and organic reactions around his archetype instead of actively pushing him, and the plater for an expected lovey-dovey moment that never comes.
Would you recommend this to other users? If you have the time and willing to commit, absolutely, yes.
Rating (1-5):
Link to the content on our site you're reviewing (optional): Mystic Messenger v1.18.9 - Unlimited Hourglasses, Infinite Hearts Hack & Anti Ban (updated) Mod apk
A slice of life/drama/romance that start when our character without context, go to an apartment that automatically downloads a private app messenger; and have the opportunity to socialize with a group of strangers who know each other.
Review:
This it's one of my favorite otome game, it's great; and i have a lot to laurels not just to the game but Cheritz itself too, along Sbenny (with respective bones, too).
The story start when our character, a woman (called MC) goes to an apartment because a man tell her to do so, (she's gullible) because he lost his phone, and she recovered. This house doesn't have a Key but a tactile screen that it's mean to be the door from this mysterious house; inside, we got now to the message chat from this group of strangers that know each other; but not us. In just the first chat (the mechanic it's like a real whatsapp or telegram chat with multiple participants at the same time, tipping) the inmersion effect it's immediate, we get the core of each character known, what maybe their personality it's gonna go from, who tickles our tummy first, and how we can participate ourselves in the conversation.
There's usually three different options to choose from, what are we going to say; sometimes four but those are rare, same as two. The people in the chat are flabbergasted that somebody have find the way to sign in this app, that, one of the characters which it's a skilled hacker called 707 (Luciel) create and share the download item for originally just 7 persons. After the intro, we get to know everybody personally and experience the app at our rhymnt... The game use the in real time dynamic, were you can see the time at the top of the screen, along with the infamous hourglasses and hearts.
The heart counts it's the increase (or decreased) appreciation with all the available characters (5), at first. The hourglasses are the currency you can obtain for free in chats, a random gift from another feature called 707 spaceship we see at the bottom row of the screen, exchange for 100 hearts, or pay with real money. Something that Mystic Messenger when i used to play (and i'll dare to say still) it's very up in regards of quality and trendsetting features, stand out of other otome games for it's in game dynamic, storytelling and premise. Stand his place after much time, i haven't play but i remember wholeheartedly.
The story advance through chats, can be with one participant or multiple throughout the day, at particular hours (remember, the game use in time mechanic like Animal Crossing); at the beginning we have three different routes with three different characters, so it depends of us trying to get close to that persona in the first 3 days, at day 4 if you haven't accumulated enough appreciation hearts from your interest character (at first, the one's that are available for you) you get the bad ending number 1 because you didn't decide who you wanted to be.
This app it's created for the Rika's Fundraising Association (RFA in acronym) for give away to charity through an extravagant and grandeur party annually, Rika it's an important center character of the story, and the Fundraising it was named after her with help from her probably multimillionaire boyfriend, called V (Jihyun Kim) share the same ideals of utopian world peace. She dies and the organization decide to continue with their operations, so that's the role of our character to do after she found herself in the apartment she got in, in the first place. Each route have a length of 11 in real time days (unless you purchase the VIP package that gives you 1k of hourglasses, and can unlocked multiple chats or days at the same time, or max speed to get through faster), opportunistically the encounter with our character and the RFA members it's close to the annual party. The story comes around the dynamic of how Rika was alive, the success of past parties and backstory to each character; and even backstory on other characters without choosing them principally.
Through the day you get the opportunity to get into the chats, accumulated hearts, got the sporadic hourglasses and from time to time, depending of our choices, you receive emails from the potential guests to come to our fundraising part at Day 11; and convince them to come. In the app we get different sections, one for emails for guest, other for emails between other members, and the chats divided them on days.
There's multiple endings in the game; bad, normal and one good winning. At first we have the opportunity to choose 3 different characters from the category named Casual Story (Yoosung, Rika's cousin; Jaehe, personal assistant from Jumin Hae, a billionaire friend of V; and Zen, a famous idol who Rika love immensely and she invited herself to be part of the Association), after complete all of the stories, and hopefully save enough hourglasses, we can unlock Deep Story, to add other deep layers to the ongoing story of the RFA association and what makes stick all the members, with respective backstories... In Deep Story the first 4 days are the same as in Casual story, and change at Day 5, with the fan-favorite beloved 707 and Jumin Hae.
A next add later on they include a third category called ''After Story'' where we can choose between other two characters, one it's V which we can socialize with him in Casual and Deep Stories routes but can't win hearts from him, except in the After Story section... And a character that we get to know in 707 route but that we have interact since the beginning, called Ray or Unknown; and have the opportunity to get from this story all characters perspectives to complemented a well crafted and mature story.
One of the outstanding aspects of this game it's the inmensirve elements, and calculated effective sense of realism we get. The in use in real time from the phone (an a incredible acuted security coming from Cheritz to, if accidentally or wittily-attempt we change the hour from our device to advance or retroced to get a chat we lost, or advance the story because the next chat it's in 4 hours; we received a warning) it's not a magical tool to succeed in the awaited emotional investment of the player; it have to make sense, it's intrusive but if we have something of quality in exchange, we can allow that invasion of privacy, and well; with a game like Mystic Messenger, it's not just successful, but we get hyperfocused on it, creating alarms for the between 7 to 12-13 different chats around the day), than we accepted without any problem, and the calls we received from time to time are very much worth it, very very much, as well as the work of the voice actors, great work. Small details like the fact MC we can named how we want, and even use a picture of us, it's noteworthy of the structured core base the business implemented, well done.
There's thousands of guides to each chat to receive hearts, hourglasses and direct our route to an specific character (both from the Casual and Deep story, the After Story routes are from the beginning programed to go either go to V or Ray), and to get so loved calls. As much it's expeditiously implemented, it's gonna received a bone, eventually.
The visuals and characterization of the game, it's so well done, so much that i couldn't evitate seeing a lot of features implemented (and programed differently) on another casual game dating app called ''Mechat'', the influence it's noteworthy. Through the story goes along, we have so short animated cuts with the characters in their everyday settings (707 in his luxury and extravagant house, Jumin in his office or in his penthouse with her cat named Elizabeth, Jaehe in her office, and Yoosung on his bedroom or college classrooms) special effects in the voice actors giving life to the characters in between messages in the chats, the look of the app itself, the stylish notifications we received, the email interface, the chat interface; Cheritz took their time to make it look beautifully done and instantly recognizable. And as time pass by, the variable different styles from each character for festive days it's well received, even from a player who haven't touch the app since 2017-2018 like me.; the images quality and design are superb.
The story it's something i like it a lot, usually otome games (and game apps in particular) have light narratives which are well received, just because they're light doesn't mean they are badly done or badly executed, Mystic messenger, as deep we get; it have it's considerable amount of darkness; talking about human manipulation proselytism tactics for cult recruitment, the effects of dealing with a ruthless and borderline careless family member, the dealing with ongoing suicide tendencies during daily routine, long lasting grief, interaction with disabilities both for the mind and the body (One of the characters, V, it's suffering from an aggressive and progressive loss of vision, and 707, the fan-beloved character have his dealing with Post-traumatic stress disorder after a disturbing event in his childhood), and from a more subtle end: we read between lines critics from the insane amount of pressure and infelicity koreans face every day (the game it's based in South Korea) and the loss of dignity (something that Ray, and the backstory of Rika are impregnated). It's great for me, because this it's another example of how animated or cartoon games can be oriented to young adults, and break one game at a time the stigma of constant and imposed infantilization.
The sizeable amount of depth and layers this story could integrate without having the sensation of stretching it because of the lack of ideas, or illogical development. It's noteworthy, i haven't play the multiple options for festive routes or days, but i have play all Casual, Deep and one After story route to notice the hard work for respecting and enriching the story. It's a story that stays with you, for the better or worse, that depends of how you take it.
The chat interface it's intelligent, we decide to answer however we want; although if you're interested on get the happy ending alone, it's for the better to use a guide; at least for me it didn't ruin the first impressions and surprises, because i only read the next chat i received depending of the hour or day i was in, and not all of it like a book or an article. And it's for the better to not lose much of the chats, the game require to have at least 50% of the full day to advance fluidly.
The inclusion of well done multiple languages in apps, it's very much celebrated for me, for players who don't know english (and i should be happy to with it, the original version it's in korean; and i don't know korean).
An outstanding aspect of it's that we don't pay hourglasses to choose a dialogue, we can do it for free, something i disagree lots with Mechat for the lack of surprise or change of story direction, i don't hold it against; here we have 7 characters (if you now, you now) and more condensed and easy way to control the quality and development for each one of them, in mechat we have around 200+ characters, so the amount of material differs, and deadlines too, two different management of productivity and advancing in both apps.
Other outstanding point of this game it's the fact that, with an organized and planned way to game; we can obtain all the story categories without spending a dime (although if i haved the money, i'll throw it at Cheritz without thinking twice, and then to Sbenny for having the ability to hack this rigid security branch of the game to maintain their serves for one full year) different from Mechat, if we lost a chat we can get it for hourglasses, or purchasing a full day; but we don't have special chat options for hourglasses, and the only way to spend all of them it's to recall the lost calls we didn't get to answer. Very much appreciated when a business gives free players, with effort, options to enjoy that way; i deeply respect businesses who take this route, because it's worth the loyalty for the in-time as much as the payed players too, something in my humble review in this site i applaud and largely celebrated and laureate Cheritz for doing it (the same as Sybo games, the developer of Subway Surfers, and modders from Sbenny who share his hard work in exchange of a like).
I have few bones for Miss Mystic Messenger, but they're there.
The in time mechanic relies on FOMO, even if you read the guides for chats to see if you want to participate or not; this it's something in After Story it's worse; we have infamous chats at 12 or 3 am in Casual/Deep routes, but in After Story we can easily have one at 12, other one at 2, and other one at 6; the most bizarre hours, with little time in between. If a chat stars at 12 am and the next one at 2 am, we have two hours to activate it or we'll lost it; and after story the chats take way more time than in Casual/Deep (most of them, ofc). This game will mess up with your sleep, even if you purchase once hourglasses, unlock days and loss chats increase each time. It's impossible to evitate this, because the first three routes, for 11 days; you have to spend a full month to finish it, and then 22 days for the deep story to get it. You have here 2 months of not great sleeping for getting each single heart to have enough to purchase After Story, to unlocked you'll need 550 hourglasses, which it's a total of 55k hearts. I still remember and still hold against the game (one of the reasons i never go back to the game to play Ray route and trying to unlocked special stories from festivities), when i used to play it to wake up with my alarm at 2:45 am with my tablet directly to the guide, semi-sleep trying to get the correct answers to a chat, or calculating that if i want it to play a chat at 6:45 am and the next one was at 8:12 am, i could sleep a little more up to 8:04 am to take the phone, wait for the app to open, praying for having an active internet connection and open the app, mostly in my old phone it took time to open for it; there was situations i woke up 3 minutes before and lost the opportunity to enter the chat room because it was too late after i could got in the app, or because i was reading the guide, my phone got locked and lost the progress; just vile and awful.
The more guest you achieve to convince to get to the party, you get one hourglass (there's a total of 75+ guests available, more of them after unlocking after story content, however, you can do this once, and you have to answer three exchanging emails with correct answers to secure their presence at day 11); so that means you have to play multiple times for all routes to get enough if you don't have the opportunity to purchase hourglasses, or have a weak self-control and spend all of them to call characters all the time or a hectic day and you lose chats all the time; even in chats you don't get much hearts, or you choose a character than doesn't give much hearts (Jumin and Jaehee are some of them), you can easily spend in this cycle for more than 3 months as a free player, or a one time pay player for a reduce number for in game currencies.
The emotional investment it's not that subtlety exploited for maintaining us at the merge of this strict time schedule for the chats every day. It's the awful side of such polished feature created from Cheritz successfully at the beginning, and at the end; it plays more in favor than against, in a tiny ethic line, that abuse but give you something in quality exchange to forget about it; a somewhat light toxic relationship, or for the less melodramatic; a human relationship.
Maybe it's me, but falling in love so quickly it's unrealistic; something all otome games suffer greatly from. Important to stand out.
The revisiting and replayability it's there with the multiple endings add it, although it's appreciated from an extension of lore, storytelling, sense of realism with the consequences of our desitions and game content free and for paying customers. It's not my cup of tea, i don't have that much interest on it; i just wanted the happy ending and that's it; and you resent inmensilly the replaying to get the hourglasses or hearts to purchase them, to unlocked After Story; you have the opportunity to directly unlock to Day 4 when the routes start but with the cost of 100 hourglasses. Once you finished, you're basically done with the game at that point, unless you wanna unlocked the festivities days that, if i don't remember incorrectly; between 1 or 3 days, depending of the festivity itself (april fool's in 1 day, valentine's day it's 1 day, christmas it's 3 days) and some DLC's. It's not worth it having it on your phone for more the time you spend finishing it, and basically it.
and the last for me, it's the heaviness of the emotional weight and dynamic from After story, it's more exigent with the strange hours from chats, the density of each one that drains you (specially if you are trying to get the achievement for finishing all the days in 100% activity), each chat in AS can take you as much as 10-20 minutes, they're long girl, and the repay in hourglass it's non-existing almost; you got it compensated with the amount of hearts received. The emotional weight it's a lot, not only from an story perspective but how the events evolve, and you stand there; happy you finish, but aggrieved for lacking sleep and even in sense of story treatment, i can talk about V specially because i didn't want it to play with Ray, it's not because i don't like him but i couldn't take anymore the constant demand for the game; and personally the insatisfaction the V storyline got me on; his distant, he doesn't even kiss or have an intimate moment with MC, the inflict intimacy it's not effective, it's bad ; we're second plate food for him because he's obsessed with Rika who actively use him , regardless her probably undiagnosed mental illness; even the after stories with a daughter, we don't have a real connection with the man, what that hell.
Speaking of Rika, Yoosung didn't deserve to lose an eye in the good ending, poor boy; he didn't deserve to have a borderline psychopathic cousin like Rika.
Also, i think a route with Rika were she can change it's a territory i'm willing to go back to the game, i think it can be helped for empathy, the power of redemption, mental health among other themes.
Maybe, this it's another me problem or weak point: but, i'll like that the Jaehee route, the only available women character, could be include as a romantic interest instead of a friend dynamic. There's a heteronormative enviroment in the game, something that even as sloppy could get in Mechat, it was appreciated for me, the attempt. I think South Korea as improved with their in home and telephone technology, renewable energy, and entertainment products are very advanced and innovative; they still have this sense of retrogradation when it comes to diversity in sexuality and gender (among other points); something i've been appreciating not just in casual app games (I think it's badly categorize Mystic Messenger in casual, there's nothing casual about it's dynamic) and more committed and long games like the Persona series, specially Persona 5 and Persona 4 (coming from Atlus, a japanese business); it can be nice to choose your gender.
I read about Ray storyline, and it seems more worthy and a little more satisfied than V storyline itself, but again; the deadness of the lacking of sleep, and the emotional weight that doesn't prepared you, specially the in date mechanic were we are directly talking with the characters (this it's something more prominent in after story and up to a certain extension, Deep story; than casual routes) to experience myself in the in-game, instead of just reading about it, maybe the difference relays that Ray it's emotionally more expressive and open to the chapter of being with us than V itself, which it's basically pushing himself to be intimate when, crealy, he's not; and he personally it's a very reserved person; which i'm not against, but let's give natural and organic reactions around his archetype instead of actively pushing him, and the plater for an expected lovey-dovey moment that never comes.
Would you recommend this to other users? If you have the time and willing to commit, absolutely, yes.
Rating (1-5):
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Hehe.
