Dispatch is an episodic adventure game developed by AdHoc Studio. It follows an ex-superhero who swaps being a hero for becoming a dispatcher for other heroes.
The first episode follows Robert as Mecha Man as he meets his demise as a hero with the second episode covering his first day on the job as a dispatcher.
The writing in both episodes is top notch, perfectly hitting the snarkily comedic notes. Aaron Paul’s Robert Robertson is instantly likeable and easy to root for, making his standoffishness feel endearing rather than offputting. It’s hard not to feel pulled into the game as soon as it starts.
Best example of that? My partner couldn’t stop herself from stopping and watching the whole time I was playing.
The characters and the voice acting are all fantastic too. The standouts are Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and Laura Bailey.
I can’t wait to see more of the characters and see where this goes.
The gameplay is not very deep, but that’s not really the point either. I’d say most of the game is story cutscenes with choices to be made, much like the Telltale games these devs worked on before.
However, the little dispatch-related gameplay there is was still fun. It being shallow shouldn’t be an issue for what will end up being a 10 hour game.
The way the first two episodes went, it definitely seems like there will be some romance options or storylines later on. Currently seems like two potential options, but we are yet to meet most of the characters so that may change.
Not that this aspect is a critical part of a game being good, but it’s always nice to have so I look forward to seeing how the connections between certain characters progress in the next episodes.
GCReaction
There’s nothing this game does badly. The animation, the writing, the characters, the dialogue, the voice acting – they’re all 10/10. The only nitpick may be the gameplay side of things since it’s not very deep or difficult, but if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re just playing the wrong game. I’ve loved it thus far and I can’t wait to to play the next two episodes next week.
