2025 has been, quite frankly, a great year for games. There are tons of amazing titles from indie successes like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to AAA powerhouses like Ghost of Yōtei. However, there’s one game that is slowly but surely going to make a splash if it keeps things up, and that’s AdHoc Studios’ Dispatch.
Despite being a hardcore narrative-driven genre lover, I didn’t have Dispatch on my radar, though I knew of it. A superhero game that releases two episodes a week sounds awesome, but with so many games coming out and games I’m still getting through, time was not there. However, when reviews came out praising just the first two episodes, I knew I couldn’t let it slide. And trust me, you shouldn’t either.
If you haven’t heard of Dispatch, here’s a sales pitch: You play as an out-of-commision superhero tasked with dispatching a ragtag group of ‘ex’-villains to solve the many crimes in Los Angeles while deciding your own fate through dialogue options. Basically, it’s if Telltale (The Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us) made a superhero game and included strategy. Well, it technically is, as it’s made by former members from the then-closure of the company years ago, and it shows. From what I’ve played so far, which is four episodes, this is as close to Telltale than anything in years. And man, does it feel good to have it back.
Dispatch is a jack of all trades, for the most part. It is hilarious and raunchy yet unabashed by it. It knows what it is and isn’t afraid to make fun of itself. Plus, the cast, which is stellar, deliver it perfectly. Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame fits incredibly well as protagonist Robert Robertson and I can’t help but love his off-the-cuff insults and sarcasm. All of Dispatch’s characters feel like their own and memorable in their own ways. It’s too soon to call favorites but Invisagal (Laura Bailey), Waterboy (Joel Haver), and Royd (Tanoai Reed) always steal the show in every scene they are in.
The main gist of gameplay is through quick-time events and dialogue choices, similar to other Telltale games. It’s too soon to know how certain choices will affect the plot, but the ones that have have made quite a difference. For me, I always play kind, but snarky if need be. It helps in a few situations, like reassuring the team and giving pep talks. The dispatching part of Dispatch is a bit of a hit-or-miss with me. I’m not too big of a strategy guy, so that may factor in, but it can range from pretty easy to confusing rather quick. It can become overwhelming and, without proper tools, not feel as fulfilling. While it does work thematically, I’m not sure whether I’m enjoying it or not, though it does have those moments of genuine fun, even in subsequent playthroughs.
For me, Dispatch feels like a playable streaming show in the best way possible. In a way, it reminds me of what Netflix tried to do with projects like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, but spread out. Weekly new episodes, fun interactivity, and characters and plot I want to know more about. If the second half of Dispatch is as good as its first, we could see a new Dark Horse in the GOTY conversation.
Dispatch is available on PC via Windows and PlayStation 5. Episodes 1-4 are available now, with 5-6 releasing on November 5th and 7-8 on November 12th.
