Dispatch Review: When Saving the City Means Managing Misfit Heroes

A Superhero Story About Everything but Hero Work

In Dispatch, you are not the winged do-gooder swinging through the skies but the person taking their calls. Gameplay Night is a point and click adventure developed and published by AdHoc Studio, released for Windows on Steam and PlayStation 5 on 22 October 2022 with an “Very Positive” rating from players on steam removing the end-of-year stress.

The premise? A superhero spoof, workplace comedy and branching narrative design that reads like it fell out of Telltale game — but with a clever twist. You’re not saving the world itself; you’re in charge of those who are.

From Hero to Dispatcher: The Setup

You play as Robert Robertson, aka Mecha Man, the former great hero whose mech-suit was mercilessly destroyed by his sworn enemy. And rather than repair his legacy, he’s relegated to a desk job as head of a superhero dispatch center and overseeing a crew of reformed ex-supervillains.

Each mission requires you to make difficult decisions — who to send, who to believe in and what to prioritize — as you are forced into managing inter-office drama, romantic tension and your own path toward redemption.

It starts as a lampoon of superhero bureaucracy and gradually reveals itself to be something deeper — a testament of identity, purpose and second chances.

Gameplay: Choices That Echo Beyond the Office

Under the hood, Dispatch is essentially a branching narrative fused with choice-driven management sim. Gameplay occurs on a menu-strategy map in which there are ongoing emergencies that crop up around the city. Your job? Choose which group of heroes to send, factor in their special powers, vulnerabilities and possibly fragile states of mind.

Every choice — from putting a reckless powerhouse on delicate hostage negotiations to sending a retired villain off on a P.R. stunt — creates ripples through future episodes.

These little decisions affect not only the various missions, but character relationships on a personal level - tweaking dialogue, alliances and story endings.

The Telltale Tradition Lives On

If you were a fan of The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead or Batman: The Telltale Series then Dispatch is the next obvious step. The episodic branching narrative, moral gray choices and focus on character driven storytelling all recall that classic Telltale vibe — something fans have missed for way too long.

As one Steam reviewer put it:

“This is like a Telltale Invincible game we never got. The writing is sharp, and the mix between 2D and 3D visuals gives it a cinematic punch.”

AdHoc Studio, made up of ex-Telltale hands, doesn’t exactly hide its influences — and that’s a good thing. The pacing, the dialogue trees, the episodic storytelling all feel like a spiritual successor to what made those narrative games so memorable.

An All-Star Cast That Eclipses Everything

If there’s one thing that Dispatch absolutely nails, it's the voice cast. AdHoc went big, recruiting heavy hitters from games, film and online entertainment:

• Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Westworld)
• Laura Bailey (The Last of Us II, Marvel’s Spider-Man)
• Erin Yvette (Hades II, The Wolf Among Us)
• Travis Willingham (Critical Role, Lego Avengers)
• Matthew Mercer (Overwatch, Resident Evil 6)
• Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, Casino Royale)
• Bonus guest appearances by Jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL, Alanah Pearce and Yung Gravy

It’s a mishmash that’s positively surreal, blending YouTubers with Hollywood actors and old-school voice talent into an immersive narrative whole. Reviewers from both Steam and PlayStation praised the voice acting as “top tier,” spicing up even the quieter office moments.

Writing That Is Joyful, Madcap and Absurd

The show ultimately doesn’t rely that heavily on parody, despite a comedic-heavy set-up. The jokes feel natural — they are more about character than lowbrow punchlines. The dialogue is snappy, self-conscious and sometimes emotionally sincere.

Underneath the absurd office chitchat, moments of silent contemplation on failure, trauma and rebuilding one’s identity are never far from the surface.

One reviewer’s reaction was the perfect distillation of that deathly timbre:

“We joke, we laugh, we suppress our trauma.”

It's a punchy line that encapsulates the game as a whole. Beneath its visceral comic-book aesthetics, Dispatch probes the essence of humanity in a world full of gods and monsters.

Visuals and Art Direction

The art style in Dispatch is a hybrid 2D-meets-3D that comes off as vibrant and movie-esque. Characters are stylized but expressive, and the environments — office cubicles to Rita’s party, a busy cityscape of dancing figures — strike an appealing middle ground between realism (in clothes) and what they’re doing (cartoon action).

The animations are fluid, the jump between dialogue and gameplay transitions smoothly and the UI design looks like something out of a futuristic operator’s dashboard. It’s fast and easy to use, visually appealing but not at all cluttered.

The Flaws: Brief Episodes, Long Gaps

As glorious as Dispatch is, it’s not without problems. Early players most common complaints are the lack of overall content, due to it’s episodic release format. Only the first two episodes have been released, and they each run about an hour.

Despite the strong narrative content, players often complained about the pacing being insufficient to delve into both, charismatic characters and regarding their decisions. One of the reviewers described it as:

“Buying a book and realizing 75% of the pages are locked until next week.”

There’s also a gulf in expectations. For those of us who are story- rather than gameplay-focused, we can safely call this a 9/10 experience for its writing and characters. But it rates more like 5/10 for those who were hoping for more in-depth management mechanics, with limited interactivity beyond dialogue/despatch choices mentioned as a consistent lack.

Yet AdHoc has confirmed that more episodes are on the way, and if the episodes’ storytelling potential is any indication, it’ll be worth the wait.

System Requirements (PC)

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• CPU: Intel i5-6402p / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GTX 960 / AMD RX 560
• Storage: 25 GB

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• CPU: Intel i5-7400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD RX 580
• Storage: 25 GB

Community Reception

At the moment of writing, Dispatch has:

• They got an 87% “Very Positive” rating on Steam (735 reviews).
• 4.93/5 average on PlayStation (584+ ratings)

GameplayPlayers consistently praise the emotional writing, cinematic presentation, and acting. The only criticisms of any significance appear to revolve around episode length/payoff, with the consensus being that if you want a full game, wait for a full season release.

Final Verdict

Dispatch manages to cash in on superhero fatigue with something refreshingly human. It is a game about broken people trying to be good, in extraordinary circumstances or very ordinary ones. The combination of powerful writing, vivid performances and moral complexity makes it one of the most unforgettable narrative experiences of the year.

It’s not without its flaws — too-short episodes and a dearth of different gameplays could stand to change for the series’ next iteration — but Dispatch makes clear that the Telltale spirit isn’t extinguished just yet. It’s simply clocking in for a different kind of shift.

Score: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Verdict: A well-written, emotionally substantial superhero management drama that you should absolutely 100% grab your eyeballs on (although maybe wait until more episodes are available to parachute in).

FAQ: Dispatch Video Game

Q1: What is Dispatch?
Dispatch is a superhero workplace management game where players make story-driven decisions managing a team of flawed superheroes and ex-villains. It’s part comedy, part drama and all strategic decision-making.

Q2: What is the Dispatch video game release date?
The game's official release took place on October 22, 2025.

Q3: Who are the main voice actors and cast members?
The cast consists of Aaron Paul, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Matthew Mercer, Jeffrey Wright, Jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL Alanah Pearce and more.

Q4: Is Dispatch available on PS5?
Yes, Dispatch is out now on PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam), with the possibility of console ports in the future.

Q5: What is the price of Dispatch?
the game cost around USD $29 and steam the base version is USD $9.44(intro sale discount at launch) it may differ depending on region what platform you are on.

Q6: What kind of characters appear in the game?
You’ll run a crew of former supervillains, oddball heroes and beleaguered employees, each with their own powers, weaknesses and melodramatic personal histories.

Summary

Dispatch is equal parts chaos and charms—a game that shows you don’t need superpowers to tell a super story. If you’re attracted by its cinematic storytelling or drip-fed story, this is a lot to love. Just have something else ready to watch between episodes, because saving the city — apparently — involves some paperwork too.