Mystic Messenger – Ray’s After Ending review (Spoiler alert!) Ray (Saeran)'s After Ending DLC has been released on the 18th December 2020 and it's finally available

So here we are at last. Starting 18th December 2020 Cheritz has release Ray’s After Ending described by its creators as Mystic Messenger‘s Final End.

Probably the best news this terrible year 2020 will ever give us before it goes without being missed, Ray’s After Ending arrives nearly 3 years late, as it was originally announced to be released in January 2018. But I guess none of Mystic Messenger fans ever gave up reading the rest of Saeran Choi‘s heartbreaking story.

Personally I’ve never uninstalled Mystic Messenger app through these long years and I was totally ready to plunge into an emotional new chapter with my favourite 2D character ever.

Have a look at the first official illustration released by Cheritz:

Aren’t the Choi twins in their best shape?

And isn’t Saeran the coolest ever in that Dark Academia outfit of his?

So, let’s have a look together to this long awaited Mystic Messenger DLC. Beware of possible spoilers in the following lines.

Ray’s After Ending is so rich of beautifully voiced lines and gorgeous illustrations that could be easily considered a complete route instead of a mere DLC. I dare say it was worth the wait.

3 days packed with chats, messages, phone calls and illustrated visual stories (really lots of visual stories!) leave the gamer a little time to distract as long as the 3-days game lasts.

I really loved how Saeran evolved into a self-conscious young man in this final arc. He keeps all of Ray‘s sweetness and sensibility while getting rid of all of Ray‘s fears and insecurities.

Saeran becomes the ultimate charming prince every girl could dream of. His lines are beautiful indeed, as they are highly dramatic and moving but also full of hope and peacefulness. Thanks to MC‘s love, Saeran reach a perfect balance with the world through forgiveness and acceptance.

Saeran‘s way of being wise and balanced literally overwhelms V‘s (claimed) wisdom and balance.

V plays quite an important role in this arc, yet I think he comes off as a weak and petty character here. His inner motivations to still cover for Rika are just incomprehensable.

Honestly, in Mystic Messenger saga V  has always been my least favourite character. Despite being presented by every other character as a sensible, talented, staid man (therefore deserving to be RFA‘s leader) there is always something fishy in his behaviour and I can’t stand there’s always something he can’t tell you about (nontheless he expects you to trust him just because it’s him).

In Ray’s After Ending, Rika is still a snake, but she goes on evolving and I start to understand her persona more and more and I think, all in all, she is an excellent villain and a good motor of the story.

Jumin‘s fans will be happy to find their favourite “CEO in line” acting very cool and smart in this route, being the actual leader RFA needs. Non just for he’s wealthy and powerful but because he is cool-headed and noble.

I also loved how the authors decided to give space to minor characters that were very appreciated by Mystic Messenger players. First of all Vanderwood (how do we need a Vanderwood DLC!!), but also Chairmain Han, driver Kim and a little space for Yoosung‘s hilarious mum.

Big brother, hothead, protective Zen is here for us, as fit and “in character” as ever.

Yoosung and Jaehee Kang are left a little on the sidelines. But that couldn’t be helped in a short story so full of  events and important characters.

That said, I wished I could deeply analize this After Ending, and the supposed “Final End” it should represent but… At my first attempt I inadvertently hit my head against a BAD ENDING !! (the bad relationship ending) at the fourth day of the game.

That means I had to start it over from scratch and the terrible thing is that I still don’t know what I did wrong to deserve it >_<

Apparently Cheritz decided to give us a hard time with this DLC, as I’m hearing expert players meeting bad endings every day.

So it’s not just me having forgot how to play Mystic Messenger. It’s Mystic Messenger who decided to go hard mode here.

I managed to reach the good ending  at Day 4 after hitting 3 times (I mean 3 times!!) the same damn Bad Relationship ending. Basically I had to try every possible combination of answers in order to finally get enough Sarean’s hearts and unlock my way to the Good Ending.

I appreciate the idea of making this route less predictable but I was taken aback by the fact that, in the first 3 days, the right answers (those which give Saeran’s hearts) are quite erratic.

Cheritz‘ idea is probably this: MC must not entirely sentence Rika and V …but still she has to constantly remind them (and Saeran) what they had done. She has to state more and more she is not going to part from Saeran …but still she has to support him and cheer for him.

Easier said than done. Some answers prove themselves to be correct (because they do give Saeran‘s hearts) but it’s impossible to undertand why they are correct until you chose them.

Anyway, after unlocking Jumin’s story mode (instead of Savior’s story mode) in the morning of Day 4, I think it’s safe to assume that the worst is behind us and we can quite easily predict which answers will lead us to the Good Ending (or to the Normal Ending, which is also here in Day 4).

I didn’t make any walkthrough but if you wish to follow one, I recommend this one on reddit which reddit user Ririkutai achieved with the help of some other Mystic Messenger players.

So, now it comes the big final spoiler…

Saeran AE Good Ending put an end to the whole saga. In this specific Good Ending every single villain (I mean EVERYONE) repents thanks to Saeran and MC‘s kindness and moral strenght. Every single character gets his/her happy ending somehow. So this probably is Mystic Messenger’s final end. Probably Cheritz might give us a nice and lightweight Vanderwood‘s DLC but I think they decided it’s about time to move on towards a brand new product.

I love the fact that the final mission and the entire epilogue of the saga was entrusted to Saeran who I consider to be the most interesting and complete character in Mystic Messenger.

Please come back to discuss it with me and feel free to comment Ray’s After Ending whenever you want.