If single player games are the world, then superhero games are the animals keeping that world alive. They keep the scene growing. They pull in not just gamers, but even people who do not usually play but show up when a new superhero story arrives.
Most superhero games follow the same formula. You see the origin. You save the day. You hide your real identity. You fight the big bad guy. Then the superhero disappears once the danger is gone. But no one talks about the mess left behind. No one talks about who tells the hero where to go or who needs help. Someone has to handle the calls. Someone has to deal with paperwork. Someone has to talk to the mayor. Someone even has to schedule the coffee breaks. That is exactly where Dispatch steps in. It is a game that feels like a wild dream about the people who manage superheroes from behind a desk.
The team at AdHoc Studio, who worked at Telltale before, knew that superhero stories needed a break from the heavy and preachy approach Hollywood keeps repeating. They stripped everything down. They looked at what the genre could become. And then they turned that idea into something special. Dispatch is not just a good game. It feels like an invitation into what episodic gaming can look like in the future.
The real heart of Dispatch is its cast. It feels less like a game and more like a movie full of big personalities. Aaron Paul brings Robert Robertson to life in a way that feels raw and tired and painfully real. Robert used to be Mecha Man. Now he is broke. He is retired. He is stuck in a normal office job. Paul does not just speak the lines. He shows the weight of a man who has been saving the world for years and now feels the stress of small things like vending machines and back-to-back shifts.
Then you meet the Z-Team. They are ex-villains trying to redeem themselves. They work under the Superhero Dispatch Network, and they make up the funniest and most chaotic group of misfit heroes you will ever see. They include Sonar, Flambae, Invisigal, Punch Up, Prism, Malevola, Golem, and Coupe. They have the same energy as a messy Suicide Squad, and they rely on Robert to guide them.
Robert also builds strong bonds with people around him. He talks to his mentor Trackstar. He works with Blonde Blazer. He rebuilds his old suit with Royd. He mentors a young fan named Waterboy. His conversations with a powerful hero called Phenomaman are wild and feel like a superhero version of The Office. The humor is sharp and constant. The writing is full of personality. Every character feels alive.
The villain Shroud also stands out. He is smart. He is unpredictable. He gives Robert a hard time throughout the story. His team, called The Red Ring, is full of weird characters who are almost funny just by existing. Invisigal, voiced by Laura Bailey, becomes the emotional center of the game. Her voice acting feels fragile and human. She makes you want to protect her, even when she causes trouble.
The choices you make in Dispatch hit hard. Robert finds himself caught between Blonde Blazer, who feels safe and steady, and Invisigal, who feels intense and unpredictable. The game does not let you rewind your decisions. Every choice carries weight. Every conversation builds towards something. If you pick a character as a love interest, it is not just a simple pick. You build the story with your actions. It feels real and heavy because you earn the outcome.
The episodic format makes everything stronger. You have to wait a full week between episodes. That waiting creates tension. You spend days thinking about the decisions you made. The community talks about them too. It brings back that old feeling of everyone reacting to a show at the same time. It makes the experience feel bigger.
The gameplay itself is stressful in the best way. You sit at Robert’s desk. Emergencies come in nonstop. The mission descriptions are vague. You have to assign heroes quickly. You always feel like you never have enough people. Travel time, rest time, and mission time all matter. If you send your strongest heroes out too early, you may have nobody left when something serious hits. It feels like a management game mixed with emotional chaos. You make hard choices. You feel the pressure. You understand Robert’s fear and stress.
The puzzles where Robert uses his hacking skills also feel fun and rewarding. And even if someone has never played games before, Dispatch is still easy to understand and enjoy. AdHoc clearly wanted to reach everyone, not just veteran gamers.
The visuals are stunning. The animation looks like a mix of Western style and high-energy anime. Everything feels crisp and smooth. Character movements have weight. Fire looks like real fire. Golem’s punches feel heavy. The facial animations show tiny expressions that add depth to the acting. The game runs smoothly and loads instantly, even when the screen is packed. Nothing breaks the flow or mood.
Dispatch is more than a new superhero game. It is a bold statement. In a world full of repeated formulas and endless sequels, this game chooses to feel alive and different. Each week’s episode becomes an event. Each decision follows you. The game builds tension, emotion, and connection in a way that makes you think long after it ends.
Dispatch proves that choice-based games still matter. It shows that the episodic format can still innovate. It turns management into something emotional. It builds a world that challenges you, cares for you, and leaves a mark on you. When it ends, you know you just played something truly unique.
