Dispatch Review

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As the year comes to an end, it’s been a wild time for gaming – we’ve seen potential game of the year winners alongside huge disappointments from major companies. I’ve witnessed everything that happened, but if someone had told me I’d be finishing the year playing a game with a quirky team led by a character voiced by Aaron Paul, I wouldn’t have believed it!

Dispatch is a story-driven game created by AdHoc Studio, a team of developers previously at Telltale and Ubisoft. It offers a unique take on the superhero world, putting you in the role of a dispatcher who manages supervillains. Instead of traditional heroes, you’re working with a company that ‘rehabilitates’ villains through the Phoenix Program, sending them on strange missions and rescues.

But here on SDN, you’ll experience quite the opposite – a series of HR mishaps as you try to help the Z-team get better. They’re a truly chaotic group, and the show – all eight episodes of it – is a funny and surprisingly heartwarming experience.

Come along with me as I share my thoughts on Dispatch! I’m going to explain how AdHoc has developed a wonderfully quirky group of characters, and how much I’m hoping for another season just to see what happens to them next.

First Day In Hell

Following a devastating battle that left his Mecha Man armor wrecked and nearly cost him his life, Robert Robertson hits rock bottom. Fortunately, the glamorous Blonde Blazer offers him a new opportunity: a job at the Superhero Dispatch Network.

Robert accepted the new office job at SDN, but only if they fix his armor. It won’t be easy, though – he’s in charge of the Z-team, a chaotic group of former supervillains trying to be heroes. Their assignments are all over the place, from preventing disasters to rescuing cats – pretty standard stuff for SDN’s customers.

The Z-team is made up of the kind of employees every HR department dreads – the ones you’d definitely want to avoid meeting on your first day.

Instead of the familiar, detailed style of other Telltale games, Dispatch uses animation that looks like a Sunday morning cartoon. If you’ve seen the Invincible comic or TV show, you’ll have a good sense of the game’s visual style and writing quality.

I really got invested in Robert – I was making most of his decisions, and those choices actually mattered a lot when it came to how the story ended! While building relationships wasn’t a huge focus, some characters did react to the big decisions I made throughout each episode, which was cool.

Working with the Z-team is always a challenge, and our first day with them was definitely chaotic. It’s hard to say whether we can actually turn things around with this difficult group. However, the decisions you make will reveal how surprisingly effective Robert is at motivating his team, even with his predictable and humble words.

Okay, so you’ll get those little pop-ups telling you characters remember what you did – it’s cool, but honestly, it doesn’t really change much with most people you meet. I mean, it matters with a few key characters, but that’s it. Still, if you want to try and kiss Blonde Blazer the first time you meet her? Go for it! Don’t let your inner weirdo hold back!

Become The Master Dispatcher

Dispatch’s core gameplay unfolds over eight episodes, putting you in charge of radio communication for a team called Z-team across two work shifts. You’ll select heroes – either individually or as a team – and send them on timed missions to complete different jobs.

So, the tutorial makes it seem pretty straightforward, and Phenomaman is all about the encouragement, right? But trust me, it gets deeper than that. You really need to pay attention to what your units are good at – their stats – and figure out the best way to tackle each emergency. It’s not just about rushing in!

These small details in the game really make it satisfying when you quickly and effectively send out your units.

Each hero has five key stats: Combat, Vigor, Mobility, Charisma, and Intellect. These stats connect to the type of role they’ll play, which is hinted at in the descriptive text for each hero. It can be a bit confusing at first, and it’s understandable if the actual role revealed in-game doesn’t immediately match what you expect, but you’ll quickly learn how it all works.

Each characteristic I discussed has 10 levels, so it’s important to consider how many points your heroes need to succeed in a mission, or at least improve your chances. If you enjoy taking risks, those lucky moments where everything falls into place – like succeeding on a difficult task with only a 50/50 chance – can be really rewarding.

Don’t be discouraged by the complex keywords or think this game is just luck-based. It actually includes helpful features to make managing your team easier. You can improve your heroes by leveling them up, creating powerful combinations, and teaching them new abilities.

I’ve discovered something cool! A couple of the heroes actually work really well together on missions. If you send the right pair out, it boosts your chances of success. Plus, the more you team them up, the stronger their connection gets – it’s like leveling up a special skill! And as your heroes level up, you get to choose how to improve their stats, which is awesome for customizing them to your playstyle.

The game flows so smoothly that it’s difficult to find anything wrong with it, even if the story sometimes feels fast-paced or unexpected.

The Power Learning feature lets you send heroes to Blonde Blazer for special training during shifts. This unlocks new abilities that can significantly help your team – whether it’s creating powerful clones with Golem, doubling XP gains for Invisigal and other teammates, or gaining other advantages on missions.

These small details in how the game plays make quickly choosing the right actions feel really satisfying. Plus, you can experiment with different abilities later on, even ones you didn’t get to try during your first time through the game.

From Outcasts To BFFs

I want to start by giving a big thank you to the entire voice cast, especially the unexpected and fantastic additions of Jacksepticeye, MoistCritikal, and the cast of Critical Role. They truly brought these characters to life, showcasing their unique personalities, all thanks to the amazing writing from AdHoc.

The Z-team is a group of people most HR departments would dread – the kind you’d definitely want to avoid meeting on your first day. They’re a rough bunch, including former criminals that Robert himself helped convict. While initially intimidating, you gradually start to appreciate them.

These ragtag rascals end up becoming an endearing part of Robert.

Let me tell you about some of the characters. There’s Flambae, she’s super fiery and always gives Robert a run for his money. Then you’ve got Invisigal, a total rebel who hates following the rules. And my personal favorites, Sonar – he’s half-man, half-bat, seriously cool – and Malevola. She’s this all-metal, super-strong demon, but if you can get past that, she’s actually pretty awesome. Those two are a great pair!

So, in this game, you’ve got Coupe – she’s a total badass, but doesn’t say much. Then there’s Prism, super flashy and a bit of a show-off. Punch-Up’s a bruiser, literally just knocks people down to size with a punch. And honestly, my favorite is Golem – he’s this laid-back mud monster who just wants to chill and live a peaceful life. I totally relate to Golem, he’s my spirit animal for sure!

These characters are all really engaging, each bringing a unique personality whenever they interact with Robert or playfully tease their teammates. You especially get to know them during the mission briefings, where you learn about their everyday lives – and honestly, those little details really flesh out who they are as the story progresses with each shift.

The characters constantly trade playful insults and witty remarks. The story doesn’t shy away from chaos, especially during key moments that showcase just how wild and unpredictable the group can be – particularly when a bar fight breaks out.

That’s what makes the game so special. These quirky characters surprisingly become really lovable to Robert, and making choices about their fate creates the most difficult moments. It’s a close second to the classic argument players will have about whether to romance Invisigal or Blond Blazer, but I’ll leave that discussion for you all to have.

The Power Of Friendship & Tomfoolery

Comedy is a matter of opinion, so it’s understandable if some players find the language and humor in Dispatch a bit much. Personally, I don’t see that as a problem. The game flows so well that it’s difficult to find anything truly wrong with it, even if the story sometimes feels fast-paced or unexpected.

Towards the end of the game, there were a couple of instances where it felt like we were rushed into a final showdown with the main villain, Shroud. However, it wasn’t a major issue and didn’t really pull me out of the experience.

This isn’t a show designed for long, complex storylines or in-depth character development for every character. It follows one main path, and that’s perfectly okay – you can still enjoy it without needing to know all the little details.

This game offers a great range of choices, from easy decisions to truly difficult ones that challenge your values – exactly what you’d expect from a game like this. And it fully embraces that interactivity, throwing tough situations at you and your team, even when facing overwhelming odds in a last-ditch effort for survival.

Just when things seem hopeless, you get a chance to cleverly provoke the villain with a subtle but impactful move. It’s incredibly satisfying – I practically threw my hands up in the air like in that famous Scorsese meme! – and I genuinely believe experiencing this game’s fantastic writing is the perfect way to end your gaming year.

Closing Comments:

Dispatch is a truly special game – a cinematic experience in every sense. AdHoc has created a charming workplace comedy with a superhero twist, filled with a memorable cast of quirky and lovable characters you’ll quickly grow attached to. The gameplay takes a little getting used to, but it soon becomes incredibly addictive as you manage your team against the clock. The characters are so well-developed and endearing that you don’t need extensive backstories to connect with them. Focusing heavily on character interactions and witty dialogue, Dispatch is one of the most satisfying games I’ve played all year. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Robert and his team and genuinely want to see AdHoc create more content with these delightful characters – I’m already hoping for a second season!

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2025-11-15 18:12