I Have Beaten Dispatch 3 Times, and I See a Little Too Much of Myself in Shroud

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I’m a huge fan of Dispatch. I’ve always loved the style of games made by Telltale, and I’ve played most of them – I even considered naming my second daughter Clementine after The Walking Dead! Dispatch not only nails that familiar formula, but it also introduces a brilliantly original concept: a superhero workplace comedy combined with dispatch simulation gameplay. Everything about it clicks with me, easily making it one of my favorite games this year. But what really stands out are the characters and the voice acting. Aaron Paul’s portrayal of Mecha Man is a tired, burdened man who genuinely wants to help, Laura Bailey’s Invisigal embodies someone determined to overcome past trauma, and Erin Yvette’s Blond Blazer is truly inspiring. Interestingly, despite loving most of the Z-Team and SDN characters, I find myself relating most to Shroud, voiced by Matthew Mercer.

Spoilers for Dispatch Are Ahead

Just quickly, I really like the characters Invisigal, Chase, Malevola, Golem, and Sonar from Dispatch. But it’s strange seeing myself reflected in the villain, Shroud. He fundamentally believes people are evil, yet admires genuine heroes like Blond Blazer. I didn’t fully realize how much I was writing Blond Blazer as an ideal until I described Shroud – that’s a little unsettling. Anyway, back to Shroud. He’s all about control, which is why he empowers the Red Ring members – he wants to manipulate their evil. He’s a very calculating person, driven by the need to anticipate everything, but he can’t stand the unpredictability of life. His power is predicting the future through calculations, but he’s frustrated by its limitations – the fact that he can’t know everything, and even knowing things doesn’t always help. He doesn’t want to predict; he wants absolute certainty. Losing control throws him into a crisis, and ultimately leads to his downfall. We’re going to delve into all of these aspects of Shroud, and also explore how they relate to me personally.

Dispatch Knows How to Do Outcomes

Okay, so I’m definitely not stopping after just three times through Dispatch! Right now, I’m using the excuse that the platinum trophy (thanks to Hacked by Robert) is bugged, and I want to get it legitimately. Once that’s fixed and we know how to unlock it, I’m jumping back in for a fourth playthrough. I could just reload a specific section to try and snag a trophy, especially if it’s just one part of the game, but honestly, I don’t want to. What I really love about Dispatch is that almost every big decision you make earns you a trophy, and there are tons of smaller ones too. It’s actually really cool how the trophy list fits with Shroud’s whole character and the choices he makes.

I’m a completionist when it comes to games, especially those where my choices matter! I’ve always played through everything to see all the different endings – I just have to know what happens if I pick a different option. That’s what I loved about Telltale games and RPGs; I need to see it all, even if sometimes it feels like the choices aren’t as impactful as you think. Honestly, I don’t even mind that ‘illusion of choice’ – I’ll defend that design choice any day! But the point is, I get totally hooked on seeing every possible outcome, just like Shroud. It’s always been a thing for me – I can’t help but explore everything a game has to offer.

I think choice-based games should reward players with trophies or achievements for exploring different storylines. This would give people more reason to play the game multiple times.

What might seem like a minor habit in video games actually causes me significant problems in real life. I’ve always been a naturally obsessive person – I get fixated on things and struggle to let go, which can be difficult for those around me. Even small disruptions to my plans can leave me feeling overwhelmed and anxious, something I deal with daily. This anxiety, I believe, is central to the character Shroud and how his abilities manifest. He needs to anticipate every possibility, and while it doesn’t seem motivated by a desire for control, it feels like an anxious compulsion. I’d even welcome knowing all possible outcomes myself, even if it meant doing math (which I dislike!). It would likely be detrimental to my well-being, but the interesting thing is that Shroud’s power doesn’t always provide him with the comfort he seeks. That’s what makes him feel so human and relatable, and it’s powerfully illustrated in a couple of key scenes.

Shroud vs. Blond Blazer

Shroud captures Mecha Man to question him about the Astral Pulse, and right then, Blond Blazer shows up to face the entire Red Ring alone. She tries to intimidate them, essentially declaring she’ll take out half the group. Shroud waves off the Red Ring and leaves, but he can’t resist correcting her, estimating they’d actually be closer to 30% defeated. He pauses, then decides “half” sounds better. This hesitation is telling – he doesn’t need to share his calculations, but he’s driven to do so. It’s not about ego, it’s about his need for precision, his planning, and the anxiety that comes with it. He was certain of the actual outcome, and that’s why he felt compelled to speak up.

His pause speaks volumes. He realizes the result is irrelevant and that his calculations are pointless—he understands why Blazer called his bluff. He knows threatening to take a third isn’t actually frightening. In that moment, he recognizes his anxious need to calculate doesn’t help, but he can’t ignore it. That hesitation reveals his internal conflict between reality and how he believes things should be, and the understanding that comes from recognizing that difference. He understands a different approach would have been more effective, but he feels driven to correct it based on his anxious predictions.

Shroud vs. Mecha Man

By the end of Dispatch, players can decide whether to give Shroud the Proto-Pulse, the Astro-Pulse, or both. Choosing to give him both feels like a humorous, fitting decision for Mecha Man – almost like he’s given up trying to control things. He even admits that the Z-Team’s only chance of defeating Shroud is to act completely unpredictably. This goes against everything Shroud believes is possible, but the decision ultimately reveals a lot more about Shroud’s character than it does about Mecha Man.

Okay, so watching Shroud get handed both Pulses was wild! It totally threw him off his game. He’s usually all about predicting everything and having a plan, and this was something he hadn’t even considered. You could see his anxiety kicking in because he needs to know what’s going to happen. It was like his instincts took over, and he wasn’t thinking logically anymore. The smart move would’ve been to grab both, figure out which one was the Astral Pulse, and then continue with his plan, but honestly, his whole plan didn’t account for this scenario. It felt like he’d gone too far down the rabbit hole with his calculations and had to make them work. He was so frustrated that his predictions were wrong that he just…reacted, instead of sticking to his carefully laid out strategy. It was so out of character! He’s usually so controlled, but this pushed him way outside his comfort zone. He was so focused on calculating everything perfectly that when something unexpected happened, he forced a 50/50 choice even though he knew it was risky. Even knowing things like Blazer probably hadn’t eliminated as many Red Ring allies as she said wouldn’t have helped him at that point – he was just caught up in the moment.

The hardest times come when we’re ruled by worry and overthinking, feeling like we need to have everything figured out. The reality is, nobody can truly predict the future. Both I and Shroud understand this, but we still try to control things because it’s difficult to accept uncertainty. It’s tough to quiet the constant mental calculations and admit that life is often just unpredictable. Trying to force a plan or control the chaos rarely works, and when things inevitably fall apart, it leads to intense frustration.

Shroud Couldn’t Let Go

Shroud’s constant planning and analysis causes him a lot of stress, though it sometimes feels like a special ability. He fundamentally believes people are inherently bad, and his calculations reflect that pessimistic view. He doesn’t think good deeds can truly defeat evil, and his predictions consistently reinforce this belief. While he acknowledges some people are genuinely good, like Blond Blazer, he doesn’t consider that in his daily assessments. He feels he must control evil, which stems from his need to control himself. He’s methodical because his methods help him predict outcomes. He’s driven to know everything, even though he knows it’s impossible, and accepts that life is chaotic. His calculations prevent him from relaxing and living in the moment; he feels compelled to control the chaos. Ultimately, his own human flaws overwhelm him, causing him to lose the control he desperately seeks.

Robert and Shroud make a good contrast as characters because Robert is able to embrace unpredictability and move past his problems, while Shroud struggles to do so.

I need to understand the potential results of situations. I’m not a fortune teller, but I want to anticipate what might happen, what could go wrong, and explore all possibilities, even though I know I can’t foresee everything. While I don’t think people are inherently bad, I believe online behavior often needs to be more considerate. I recognize I can’t control everything or account for every detail in my daily life, but I have to manage my own reactions. If I don’t, I quickly become overwhelmed. I find that having structure helps ease my anxiety. I have a strong urge to be fully informed, and I don’t see a problem with that in games. However, I struggle with this need when dealing with the unpredictability of everyday life. These limitations frustrate me, and ironically, can cause me to lose the control I’m trying so hard to maintain.

I really like Shroud, and the writing and acting in Dispatch are excellent—it all feels authentic because it is. I don’t think I’ll ever completely overcome my anxiety or be fully in control, but I can promise that, even when I’m struggling, I’ll never do something harmful like attack a city, kidnap anyone, or hurt an animal like Beef. I can even understand Beef’s actions, even the bad ones, and that’s something I’ll remember for a long time.

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2025-11-21 22:06