In the early 2010s, choice-based narrative games were all the rage, with studios like Telltale Games at the forefront of gaming culture. While not perfect, the video game developer did what few games at the time could: get players invested in a gripping narrative.
That was until Telltale Games and arguably the genre itself went bankrupt.
Telltale Game's lead director, Nick Herman, of the critically acclaimed The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands games, left Telltale to make AdHoc Studios, revitalizing the genre with their first game, Dispatch (2025).
Dispatch is a narrative-driven, choice-based game in collaboration with Critical Role, the famous Dungeons and Dragons web series. Dispatch is a story of superheroes and relationships, of redemption and heartache, shaped by the players' choices over the course of eight episodes. The final episode was released on Nov. 12.
Players enter the game through Robert Robertson's (Aaron Paul) point of view, also known as Mecha Man, after his father's death at the hands of Elliot Connors, the villain Shroud (Matthew Mercer). When an infiltration to get revenge on the supervillain goes wrong, Robertson is recruited by the superhero Blonde Blazer (Erin Yvette) to lead and dispatch a group of former villains to repair his suit at the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN).
Managing this group of misfits is harder than it seems. With every following shift players come into contact with bigger choices to make, upping the stakes each episode in a way that keeps he gameplay personal, relatable and funny throughout the hour-long runtime.
Paul is amazing as Robertson, bouncing off the wonderful Invisigal (Laura Bailey). Her abrasive and forward humor is one of the highlights of the game. While the comedy may rely a little too much on expletives at times, the line deliveries and background gags are so good that it is one of, if not the funniest, games in recent times. Other character standouts, such as Chase (Jeffrey Wright) and Phenomaman (Travis Willingham), deliver some of the funniest moments in the first four episodes.
Dispatch's gameplay boils down to sending the Z-Team level heroes at the players' disposal out into the world. Once a crime pops up, it is up to Robert to decide which heroes are best suited to the job based on their stats. After the job is finished, your heroes return to recoup, where Robert improves their stats, unlocking new synergies with the wide cast of heroes to smooth out job performances.
Without the stellar performances and belly-aching laughter from heroes like Sonar (Charles White Jr.), Golem (Matthew Hauri) and Punch Up (Seán McLoughlin), who are all popular internet personalities, the gameplay itself would be mediocre.
Despite that, later episodes add new mechanics to mix up the gameplay. This includes training heroes after a job or the genuinely enjoyable hacking minigame, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the first chapters. Those chapters, while fun, are just an appetizer to the main draw of the game: characters, writing, acting and its astounding cinematography.
The cinematography is jaw-dropping. Lock-on shots, depth of field and composition are all on par with a mastercraft-level show, like Netflix's "Arcane" (2022) or some of the best cinematic games in recent memory, Sandfall Entertainment's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Pumped up with stellar art style and insane facial animation tech behind it all, Dispatch is not only one of the best-looking titles this year, but one of the best games of the year overall.
Dispatch is simply an all-timer. While the gameplay does not meet the heights of previous games of the genre, the writing and storytelling are leaps and bounds better than anything previous creatives have put out. The cast all put in their A-game for some of their best work yet to date, and here's to hoping players' choices lead to a satisfying conclusion as Dispatch comes to a close and AdHoc Studio secures its newfound footing in the genre's bright future.
Jake's rating: 4.5/5