In 2012, game developer Telltale Games released The Walking Dead, an episodic choices-matter graphic adventure game. With five episodes upon its release, it was the first of its kind to receive critical acclaim and was recognized as the 2012 Game Awards’ Game of the Year. This kicked off the golden age of the genre, with multiple games drawing inspiration from The Walking Dead and all attaining similar amounts of success.
The decline of Telltale Games, however, would soon usher in a dormant period for the genre with the studio’s closure in 2018. This drought seeped into the new decade until last November, when AdHoc Studio, a studio composed of former Telltale developers, announced the release of Dispatch, a new episodic choices-matter game set in a world of battered superheroes and reformed villains. With a story orbiting around second chances, Dispatch breathes life into a tired genre, showing the true power of reinvention and redemption.
What makes a hero?
What happens when a superhero loses what makes them “super?” Dispatch confronts this question through the story of a third-generation superhero named Mecha Man, who, after a reckless mission to avenge his father, loses his robotic suit and is sadly forced to hang up his cape. He is soon recruited by the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN) to handle a ragtag team of ex-villains and teach them what it truly means to be a superhero.
Dispatch is a deconstruction of the superhero genre. Instead of playing the dashing hero, you’re a dispatcher guiding the “real” heroes on various missions. Over the course of the game, it becomes glaringly obvious that its heart lies not in the explosive set pieces or relentless action, but in the team you have been entrusted to lead. The Phoenix Program’s eccentric ensemble is the game’s emotional center, their histories gradually revealing themselves as you further dig into why each one turned their back on crime.
Each member of this so-called Z-Squad comes with their own interesting quirks and riveting backgrounds. From the deadly assassin-for-hire turned hero Coupe, to the responsible yet goofy Blonde Blazer, the SDN crew is a whirlwind of charm and chaos, lovable in all the right and wrong ways. These characters come to life with a stacked cast of acclaimed voice artists, such as Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and veterans from the role-playing podcast Critical Role. Even gaming creators MoistCr1TiKaL and jacksepticeye deliver outstanding performances, rendering characters so true-to-life that they only make difficult decisions all the more devastating later on in the story.
Each dilemma presented feels do-or-die as you grapple with the high stakes of each mission. Through its intricate world-building and vivid dialogue, Dispatch not only invites players into its world but incites their investment in its rich lore and magnetic cast of characters. If AdHoc Studio’s goal was to recapture what made the original Telltale games so special, they have certainly succeeded. A certified emotional rollercoaster, Dispatch will have you bawling your eyes out, rolling on the floor laughing, and seething with rage. Best of all, it not only offers a great premise but sticks the landing, signaling a comeback as inspiring as Mecha Man’s for the genre.
If it is not broken
Like the games that inspired it, Dispatch is a choice-driven adventure where the player is presented with options that ultimately determine their narrative’s trajectory. Even seemingly inane decisions lead to grave and unforeseen consequences down the road. Too often, however, these types of games play more like TV shows instead of actual interactive experiences, with gameplay reduced to endless clicking through dialogue or uninspired quick-time events.
AdHoc absolves itself from this common pitfall with its main gameplay loop: the dispatching. As the handler of the Z-Team, you send them out on missions of varying needs, and you have to determine which hero is best for each pressing emergency. Assigning a character to a certain call may have them unavailable for another, leaving you to deal with whatever results come from your crucial choices as the team’s dependable dispatcher. The dispatching mechanic is a refreshing reinvention of the typical visual novel-esque experiences prevalent in the genre, with many players clamoring for its integration as the sole focus of a standalone title.
Still, the game is far from perfect. The mini-hacking segments featured throughout are quite simplistic and feel more like padding than actual gameplay, recalling the tedium of previous choice-based games. And while many choices feel critical in the moment, some ultimately fail to ripple throughout the storyline as they should. This lessened impact leaves much to be desired, especially for longtime fans of the genre.
Dispatch is driven by a story it is eager to tell. While that story is compelling, it can overshadow the interactive gameplay traditionally expected from the genre. Still, Dispatch takes a new spin on a familiar formula, keeping the format fresh while remaining accessible to both new and old enthusiasts. For those willing to embrace its story-first approach, a thrilling journey awaits—one that proves time and time again that heroes can rise in the most unexpected ways.
A phoenix from the ashes
Despite its issues, Dispatch is a “phenomamal” return to form for a kind many have written off. Not since the prime years of Telltale Games has the genre seen such critical and commercial success. Not only does it deliver through its story and characters, but it is also a joy to watch with its gorgeous art style and fluid animation. Many of its moments are simply mesmerizing, crafting an emotional and visual experience worth picking up.
With its success, it is safe to say the legacy of Telltale Games is in good hands with AdHoc Studio. In a time so dominated by short-form content and fast-paced multiplayer games, Dispatch is a love letter from and for those who not only care about good narratives but also take the time to tell them well. When Dispatch asks what it means to be a hero, it sends us into the role—and through our choices and gameplay, we get to define what it means for us.
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