Few narrative-driven games arrive with the confidence and clarity of purpose that Dispatch demonstrates from its opening moments. Developed by AdHoc Studio, a studio formed by veterans of Telltale, Ubisoft, and Night School, the game positions itself at the intersection of interactive television and character-driven adventure gaming. At first glance, Dispatch looks like another quirky narrative experiment, but it becomes something far richer experience that stands among the strongest narrative-driven games out there.
The heart of Dispatch is the story of Robert Robertson, who is a third-generation Mecha Man. After his inherited legacy collapses alongside his suit, the former superhero is thrust into a mundane life, until an encounter with Blonde Blazer, head of the Torrance branch of the SDN, lures him back into the orbit of superheroes, this time in an office chair. The story involves familiar redemption arcs and coach/mentor tropes, but what distinguishes it is execution. The writing is genuinely funny and sincere, blending the irreverence of modern adult animation with emotional nuance. The heroes, including Blonde Blazer, Invisigirl, and Stronghold, are exaggerated archetypes who reveal depth and vulnerability over the course of the game’s episodes.
At its core, Dispatch blends three major gameplay pillars, i.e., dialogue-driven decision-making, team management, and light puzzle-solving. The decisions you make throughout the story shape character relationships, minor narrative routes, and situational outcomes. While the overarching plot converges toward the same end, the path you take changes meaningfully enough to make replaying episodes enticing. Conversations carry emotional weight, and the game frequently communicates consequences through subtle shifts in tone, dialogue, and music rather than overt branching.
The backbone of the game’s interactivity lies in managing the quirky roster of reformed villains, who have become employees of the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN). Every emergency call across the stylized Los Angeles map requires you to choose which heroes to send based on their stats and personalities. Strength, intelligence, charisma, and speed form the basic matrix, but each character also features passive and active abilities and specific likes or dislikes that influence how missions play out. Assignments range from the mundane (getting a cat out of a tree, mediating petty disputes) to the dramatic (preventing threats, confronting criminals), with the variety keeping the flow engaging.
What makes this management layer shine is how tightly it’s woven into the narrative. Characters comment on their assignments, banter with each other, and even complain about missions they refuse to ever repeat. The office feels alive not because of flashy mechanics but because the writing and performances fully embrace the chaotic, comedic, and sometimes heartfelt nature of a workplace filled with ex-villains trying to do better.
Alongside these systems is the game’s puzzle component, where you assist your team remotely by interacting with security systems, circuits, or surveillance tools. While seemingly inventive early on, these sections lose some of their novelty and become mundane over time, feeling like a step-down from the game’s standout narrative and management elements. The increasing complexity of this component adds challenge, but it lacks the creative spark that defines the rest of the experience.
Rather than building a world that players can freely explore, Dispatch opts for a hybrid space between television and interactive fiction. This approach works because everything, from character silhouettes to environmental staging, serves the narrative tone. Each of the game’s episodes plays out like a well-paced TV episode with carefully framed scenes, deliberate staging, and a rhythm that echoes binge-worthy shows. The world-building is conveyed not through maps or exploration, but through dialogue, background detail, and clever satire of bureaucracy, hero worship, and corporate culture.
Visually, Dispatch strikes a unique balance between cartoon stylization and cinematic presentation. Character designs are expressive, environments are rich with detail, and animated sequences feel like they were lifted from a premium series. Camera direction and scene composition enhance tension or comedy seamlessly. The audio work in Dispatch is also outstanding, with stellar voice acting from a cast including Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, Laura Bailey, and Matthew Mercer. The game uses music creatively to amplify character beats and reflect moods/choices.
Across its 8 episodes, Dispatch delivers around eight to ten hours of tightly paced content. Its episodic structure encourages replay of individual chapters to explore alternate choices. At no point does the game attempt to pad its runtime or complicate its systems.
Dispatch is interactive television done right. It’s a rare example of a narrative adventure that understands exactly what it wants to be and executes its vision with finesse. The game’s blend of heartfelt character storytelling, well-executed humor, lively management gameplay, and top-tier presentation puts it among the finest narrative-driven experiences. Though its puzzles can occasionally drag, its charm, writing, and performances far outweigh this minor shortcoming.
Dispatch Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: Adhoc Studio
- Developer: Adhoc Studio
- Platform: PS5 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
