Only the first two episodes of Dispatch’s eventual eight have been released so far, but it’s safe to say that I’m already pretty invested in this unique narrative adventure, which feels like a spiritual successor to 2010’s Telltale Games. Part TV show, part puzzle game, this high-powered workplace comedy quickly grabbed my attention with its cavalcade of bizarre characters, engaging mini-games, and dialogues that make you laugh. It’s too early to tell where the story will lead over the next three weeks of its episodic release schedule (and we’ll have a final review noted at the end), but the threads that AdHoc Studio draws on are immediately compelling, and I’m cautiously optimistic.
Dispatch takes place in an alternate version of modern-day Los Angeles, where super-powered beings, aliens, demons, and all manner of super-powered humanoids live among ordinary people. Naturally, some of these gifted beings use their powers for good, while others opt for a distinctly villainous approach. With so many supers roaming the streets, an organization called SDC has stepped in by running an insurance-style racket that allows citizens to pay for the privilege of a powerful watchdog. One of the good guys mentioned above is the series’ protagonist, Robert Robertson – otherwise known as Mecha Man – whose heroic aspirations are quickly thwarted when an explosive rogue decommissions his suit and places him in the role of a call center worker in a small branch of the SDC. So far, we’ve only experienced his first day on the job, but I’m already drawn to his predicament and curious to see how this office job will impact his quiet dreams of helping people.
Dispatch is divided into two distinct parts: most of the time, you’ll chat through beautifully animated scenes, choose fun dialogue options, and run quick-time events like those seen in The Wolf Among Us or the Life is strange series. Some decisions trigger a thrilling “X person remembers this” notification at the top of the screen, which feels like a refreshing rush of nostalgia in 2025. But mostly, I often couldn’t feel the weight of my decisions until I’d already committed to them. So far, my choices haven’t seemed wrong or meaningless to me – I’ve often been surprised by the impact that even the most nonchalant comment can have on the narrative, and only time will tell how far-reaching those ripple effects can become.
The rest of your time in Dispatch is spent working in the role of the titular dispatcher, assigning superheroes to a variety of tasks. Unlike animated sequences, these sections take place on a computer screen and resemble a point-and-click puzzle. Using your mouse and your wits, you’ll monitor a city map where orange exclamation points appear periodically with a timer, alerting you to the various tasks that SDC must handle efficiently. Each hero under your command has a stat matrix, similar to that seen in Pokemonand when a task appears, you will receive a verbal description of the problem with aligned icons showing the statistics needed to successfully solve it.
From there, your job is to match your best hero, or in some cases, heroes, based on their stats and personality, then send them on their way. You’ll know immediately whether you succeeded or failed, and success will earn you a stat boost that you can apply to your hero for future changes. It’s a more greedy feedback loop that works well with the tonal complexity of the context around it. Dispatch carefully balances your team’s tongue-in-cheek banter with the stressful need to save citizens in time, which is brilliant.
That’s not all, though, as there’s a side hacking mini-game built into your workday. Here, you’ll roll a 3D object through a cybernetic maze as the clock ticks forward, using the arrow keys to plot a path to the end goal. Since these scenarios are often associated with an intense event taking place across the city, the stakes feel high and it was easy to become absorbed in the fantasy. Dispatch’s “augmented episodes” approach is compelling so far – it helps that the storyline is so witty and satirically acerbic, and delivered well by its ensemble cast.
In addition to the puzzles involved, your team is another complication to your success. Robert Robertson is new to the job, so naturally, he’s not exactly running a gold star operation. The group you’re trying to control is made up entirely of former villains who, after a life of crime, are trying to reintegrate into society. As you can imagine, things aren’t going well. The concept of ethically troubled superhumans has been explored before in film and television, but Dispatch often subverts expectations with a constant mix of dirty jokes and heartfelt interactions that keep you on the edge of your seat.
For example, during a meeting after my first shift, my boss, Blonde Blazer, asked me why my nose was bloody. Moments earlier, due to potentially unwise decisions during a conversation, one of my “heroes” immediately punched me in the face. I had a choice here: I could report her or act like everything was fine. Hoping not to be hit again, I chose not to confess, which resulted in a warm interaction between me and another SDC member. Dispatch could have thrown in another joke here for a cheap laugh, but it didn’t. This measured restraint imbues the world with a sense of realism that is easy to become emotionally invested in.
It helps that the pool of characters I’ve met so far have seeped into my heart, even when their attitudes stink. No one is one-dimensional, and even though we don’t know exactly what lies beneath their layers, it already feels like there’s a lot to unpack. There’s Invisigal – formerly Invisibitch – a bawling, jokey menace escaping a dubious past voiced by Laura Bailey; SDC leader Blonde Blazer, played by Erin Yvette, whose noble facade hides a world of insecurity; and Chase by Jeffrey Wright, a retired hero and gaming veteran, to name a few. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Robert here too, who, thanks to Aaron Paul’s moving and nuanced performance, feels deeply flawed but lovably human.
Only a quarter of the way through this story, it’s still too early to tell where Dispatch might end up. It’s clear that there’s still a lot to come, from leveling up my heroes in the Dispatch minigame to fulfilling Robert’s savior fantasy after his accident. I’ll be back with a rated review shortly after the final episodes release on November 12 – but, for now, I’m totally captivated by this world and can’t wait to become entangled in Robert’s fractured personal life.
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