What happens when you get ex-Telltale games and Ubisoft developers and give them complete freedom to create something entirely new? You get Dispatch, a superhero workplace comedy in the same style as Telltale games. In a year of huge surprises, like Expedition 33 and Arc Raiders, it might actually be one of the biggest surprises. I didn’t expect too much going into Dispatch, but not only does it continue the legacy of Telltale games, but it might also be my favourite entry since Wolf Among Us. 

Story 

Robert “Mecha-Man” Robertson is one of the world’s most famous heroes, the third in a line of Mecha-Man that have defended LA for years, despite having no powers themselves, instead relying on armoured suits. However, in an effort to capture Shroud, who killed his father years earlier, his suit was damaged beyond repair, and he has been left powerless. Still wanting to make a difference, he is recruited into the SDN (Superhero Dispatch Network) by Blonde Blazer and assigned the task of training up and dispatching Z-Team, a collection of ex-villains on the path to redemption. 

Told over the course of eight episodes, Dispatch is structured like a traditional TV Series. As Robert begins his new life as the SDN Dispatcher, he works closely with his team and grows alongside them. But does Robert have what it takes to make the Phoenix Program a success and find his new purpose? 

Each of the game’s cast is likeable in their own weird, fucked up ways, and their interactions were always a joy. Blonde Blazer is your typical goody-two-shoes hero, who is by-the-book, but also awkward and goofy. Her boyfriend, Phenomena, subverts expectations, as set down by shows like Invincible, being oblivious to human customs. However, it’s the “villains” that steal the show. They’ll insult and throw punches at each other (and Rob) any chance they get, but seeing them develop over the course of the seven hour season was a treat. 

Though it’s the internal conflict of Invisigirl that is the heart of the story. A villain conflicted by her past choices, and if she even has what it takes to become a hero. Despite her challenging exterior and abrasive behaviour, she clearly cares about people and regrets past villainous actions. She quickly became my favourite character in this story, even compared to some of the other great characters in the game. 

Dispatch manages to be both funny and smartly written, with plenty to love. I laughed plenty of times during my playthrough as the comedy feels edgy and unafraid to use harsh language, but rarely feels childish and cringey at the same time. The writers struck a delicate balance, and it works. Yet, it’s got heart and isn’t afraid to tug at the heartstrings for some of the more dramatic moments. It’s a story about giving people second chances and finding the best in them, and it’s told incredibly well. 

Though it’s not perfect, and I do have a few complaints that hold Dispatch back. The forty-five minute episode runtimes absolutely fly by and do hurt Dispatch‘s potential. Some characters don’t get a lot of time to really shine, especially the side characters around SDN. The main villain, Shroud, is the most affected by the short runtimes, as we never really get a clear idea of who this villain is or his motivations until very late in the story. He’s definitely an entertaining villain, but just a touch underwhelming. Regardless, these complaints are minor considering just how much Dispatch gets right. 

Gameplay

Dispatch, for the most part, is a narrative choice-driven story game. For the vast majority of the runtime, you will be watching nicely animated scenes with the occasional choice sprinkled in. If you’ve played any Telltale game before, then you know exactly what to expect. A cinematic adventure with limited time choices makes up a bulk of what’s on offer here. Basically, one big interactive TV Series.

The choices you will make are mostly flavourful as a way to build character and have some more interactions that end in the same results, regardless. But when there’s a big choice, I was left to stew over what I wanted to pick. These difficult choices are well designed, forcing you to think about any future consequences, and there’s some excellent payoff around them. Even long after completing the game, I would always have that “What if I did this differently” in the back of my mind, and I’m looking forward to doing multiple playthroughs. Although the story doesn’t branch drastically with paths converging in the same way, seeing how these characters interact makes it all worthwhile. 

AdHoc Studios was clearly aware that it couldn’t simply mimic what it had done previously with Telltale Studios and devised a way to add a more interactive element to the game. Dispatch is much more of a game than others in this genre, with deeper interactive elements. As the dispatcher, it is your responsibility to respond to calls from citizens and dispatch the appropriate hero from the map screen. Adding a layer of strategy to an otherwise cinematic game. 

As you succeed in missions, you will gain XP to level them up in different stats. Focusing them to become more effective in combat, speed or skills that will make them more diplomatic. It’s vital to have a diverse range of skills, as you will need them all to succeed. When sending the Z-Team out on calls, pay attention to the text that indicates what needs to be done, as well as the type of mission. You can send multiple heroes as well to increase your odds, but be aware that you can’t send them one after another; they need to return to SDN and rest up before going out on another mission. 

Certain characters can exhibit unique synergies with one another and have distinct interactions with specific missions. For example, sending Malevola on cult-related missions can trigger unique victory conditions. Failing to complete some jobs won’t have dire consequences, but failing to complete excessive amounts will impact key story moments; besides, you don’t want to let down the Z-Team, do you? Whilst dispatching starts simply enough, it eventually becomes a nice challenge, all building up to the more frantic Dispatch sections later in the season, which had me planning to ensure I’m not overusing or underusing heroes and making bold choices.

For more cinematic-style action scenes, you can also add some optional QTEs. These can come quickly, fast and in rapid succession, but don’t have any consequence other than some flavour text. Thankfully, the action scenes here are incredibly well done with spectacular animations and cinematography. There’s also a hacking mini-game that appears during dispatch sections, adding a slight puzzle element. It’s functional but doesn’t add a lot to the game either.

Sound and Graphics 

Dispatch boasts an incredible cast of voices from diverse backgrounds to accompany its characters; leading the charge is Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul as Robert Robertson, who immediately comes in swinging with a nuanced performance that elevates the character to one of my favourite superhero characters in years. Equally compelling are Laura Bailey as Invisigal, arguably her best role since Kaine in NieR Replicant, and Jeffrey White as Chase, who brought some wisecracking wisdom to the team. 

The rest of the cast also performs incredibly well, with no real weak points. As I mentioned earlier, Dispatch is a humorous game, and the cast carries it effortlessly, but can also dial it back for more profound story and character moments. Backing this up is an excellent soundtrack as well. 

One area where Telltale Games consistently struggles is with animations. Often looking incomplete and rushed, lacking the subtlety that you’d expect from the deeper stories they would usually tell. Not here, though; Dispatch animations are crisp and clean. It feels much more like a high-quality animation you would expect from shows like Invincible or Castlevania. Character designs are all distinctive, with designs that really fit their personalities. Often becoming a riff on different characters from other media. There’s a bat in a suit, totally not Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3 and a giant mud golem to list a few. 

Verdict 

Dispatch is a magnificent return for the episodic story games. An evolution of Telltale-style storytelling, rivalling their best work, with a great heartfelt story that had me hooked from beginning to end, thanks to its fantastic cast of characters and great animations both inside and outside of the action scenes. 

 

Graphics: 8.5 Feels much more like a full on animated movie production.	Gameplay: 8.0 Dispatch attempts to add a little more interactivity to the standard Telltale gameplay.
Sound: 10 A top-tier voice cast and a great soundtrack help deliver a stunning story.	Fun Factor: 9.5 A fantastic heartfelt yet hilarious story that kept me engaged throughout and just wanting more.
Final Verdict: 9.0

Dispatch is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

Reviewed on PC with an RTX 4070, Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 32GB RAM. 

A copy of Dispatch was provided by the publisher.