| Dispatch | |||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Dispatch is an upcoming episodic adventure game where you take control of Robert Robertson as he adjusts to a life of becoming a superhero dispatcher. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of the demo, and more.
Everything We Know About Dispatch
Dispatch Plot
Dispatch follows Mecha Man after his suit is destroyed and he is forced to take a job as a dispatcher in a superhero dispatch center. The unfolding narrative will also be based on player choices, whether it’s banter in the break room or situations in the field.
Dispatch Gameplay
Dispatch will be an interactive episodic adventure set in modern-day Los Angeles. The game will focus on the life of Robert Robertson, a former hero with the alias of Mecha Man, who was forced to take on a dispatcher's job after losing his mech suit in a battle against his archenemy. He manages a roster of rehabilitating ex-supervillains as he balances work, relationships, and his goal of revenge.
Dispatch Release Date
As of writing, Dispatch has been announced to be released this year for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Dispatch Review (Demo)
If you’re a fan of superhero comics and stories, then you would know that some of the best works are those that explore their everyday lives. These can range from emotional and action-packed to even comedic storylines. More on this, the best stories are the ones that make you realize just how different and, sometimes, difficult life is for them. Especially when it’s a storyline with the themes of wanting to make a comeback from a really big setback. Enter Dispatch, an episodic adventure game that does just that.
The Next Big Episodic Adventure!
As explained above, Dispatch is an episodic adventure game focused on the life of Robert Robertson. He is, or was, a superhero going by the name of Mecha Man,
who is currently out of a job. This is because his mech-suit got destroyed in his last fight, making him inherently useless. While he’s in retirement,
he was asked to take on a job as a superhero dispatcher with the promise that they would fix his mech-suit for the time being.
The catch is that the team he’s working with is a bunch of ex-criminals who are part of the Phoenix Program, an effort to turn them into heroes. It’s a very interesting premise, one that lets you wonder how the story is going to unfold with all the tidbits you’re given so far. Will any of the supposed heroes go rogue? Will his mech-suit actually be fixed in the future? How will Robert’s revenge unfold? How does the story tackle his personal struggles as he adjusts to his desk-job life? There are a lot of questions to answer, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Visually-Striking and Star-Studded Voice Acting
Graphically, Dispatch looks amazing. The animated visuals are vibrant and can pass off as movie quality, especially when seeing the different characters in the game. Most especially, the superheroes in their costumes and the other office workers who are in the company. It even captures Robert’s expressions when it comes to his delivery. To top it off, the game is voiced by a star-studded cast of well-known actors and actresses to make it come to life. You could immediately tell that the game’s budget is focused on the presentation, and so far, it’s paying off with how it looks and sounds.
Interactive Episodic Novel
To those unaware, the game will be developed by the same creators who brought us masterpieces like The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, and Tales from the Borderlands episodic adventures. For even more context, these are all stories where your choices will matter and affect the outcome of certain, if not most, events. In Dispatch, this will take the form of Robert’s personal and work life. Your decisions will determine the outcome of his romantic life, his relationship with co-workers, and even his personal struggles.
While not much is shown in the demo itself, it already gets your feet wet with how the day-to-day will be as he works as a dispatcher. There will be several situations that will pop up at certain intervals throughout the day, and it’s your job to assign the correct hero for that situation. It can be as menial as rescuing a cat that got trapped high up in a tree or as serious as needing to send heroes to mediate and potentially stop a fight.
You’ll need to gauge the situations and send the right hero given their parameters, powers, and attitude to get the best outcome possible. Aside from this, there will be times when you’ll need to directly intervene when it comes to hacking electronics, one thing that Robert is good at. So it’s not just click here, send someone, and wait till it’s over; there will be times when you’ll get overwhelmed by the number of distress calls being made, and you’ll have to wait for the heroes to rest up before they get back to it.
You could already tell that the gameplay is going to be something special, especially when you need to look forward to managing team relationships, as some wouldn’t want to work with specific people in the team. On top of all that, you’ll still need to manage Robert’s life outside of work, which could be more about building rapport with his teammates, pursuing a romantic relationship, or maybe just training to get back into the field.
Profanity is Not For Everyone
One thing to note about the game’s dialogue and story is that not everyone will appreciate it. The amount of profanity that’s already pushed out in the short demo is already a sign of things to come, and that might strike a nerve for some people. While I, for one, enjoy this type of humor, I can see why people will get turned off by the dialogue in the game.
For instance, one of the characters in the game who’s friends with Robert drops a lot of f-bombs in the short time he’s on screen. I could even say that it’s the most I’ve heard in a video game in a very long time. If the humor is something like this moving forward, then expect a lot of it when the full game releases. It’s something that not everyone will enjoy, regardless of how good the game is.
A Superhero Adventure to Look Out For!
Nevertheless, Dispatch is one episodic game to watch out for, especially if you’re a big fan of the previous games that the developers were known for. You can already immediately see that the game has what it takes to become one of the best episodic games out there, just from a very short demo alone. It’s highly recommended for those who are suckers for edgy humor, superhero comeback stories, and fans of games where your choices matter. I just hope that it releases soon so that I can experience more of Robert’s story and explore the different relationships that he builds throughout the game.
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Dispatch Product Information
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| Title | DISPATCH |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Developer | AdHoc Studio |
| Publisher | AdHoc Studio |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Strategy |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | M |
| Official Website | Dispatch Official Website |
