If you miss the old Telltale days — those tense dialogue choices and gut-punch endings — “Dispatch” might be the modern revival you’ve been waiting for.
🧠 A Phoenix from Telltale’s Ashes
When Telltale Games collapsed in 2018, the entire narrative-adventure genre took a bullet. Games like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and The Quarry gave players cinematic storytelling with actual consequences (or at least the illusion of them).
Then came Ad Hoc Studios, a team of ex-Telltale devs who apparently missed breaking our hearts just as much as we missed letting them. Their first project, Dispatch, brings back that classic “interactive drama” feel — this time, wrapped in superhero chaos and office politics.
🦸 The Premise: A Rehab Program for Superheroes
You play as Robert Robinson, better known as Mecca Man — a not-so-subtle Iron Man homage whose vigilante career goes sideways after a trap leaves him hospitalized and his armor fried.
Enter Blonde Blazer (definitely not Captain Marvel), who offers him a deal:
Lead a team of “reformed” supervillains, fix their teamwork issues, and in exchange, her company will repair your suit.
There’s just one problem — your squad is a walking HR nightmare.
They bicker, distrust each other, and occasionally threaten to blow each other up.
Your job: turn this circus into a functioning superhero team while juggling limited resources, missions, and your own moral compass.
🎮 Gameplay – Less Grinding, More Guiding
Let’s be clear: Dispatch is more story than game.
You’ll spend most of your time:
- Picking dialogue options
- Managing missions from your Dispatch Terminal
- Occasionally hacking terminals in timed puzzles
It’s a hybrid of Until Dawn decision-making and light management sim.
The Dispatch system is surprisingly engaging at first — you assign heroes to missions based on their strengths, balancing limited manpower like an overworked project manager with superpowers.
But by mid-game, it can drag. You’ll start wishing you could just fast-forward to the next story beat.
Still, credit where it’s due: your decisions affect character loyalty and success rates. It’s not deep, but it keeps you invested.
🗣️ Writing & Voice Acting – The Real Power Combo
Where Dispatch shines brightest is its characters.
Robert isn’t a whining pushover; he gives as good as he gets. He’s worn-out but sharp, always ready with a comeback.
Aaron Paul (yep, Jesse from Breaking Bad) delivers the kind of grounded, weary performance that sells the character’s inner struggle.
Blonde Blazer acts as the team’s unofficial mentor — supportive but firm.
Invisigal (Laura Bailey, being her usual incredible self) starts off as the classic loose cannon, but her vulnerability sneaks up on you.
And then there’s Chase, voiced by Jeffrey Wright, who absolutely steals the show as an old man trapped in a young hero’s body — grumpy, sarcastic, and unintentionally hilarious.
Together, they feel more like a dysfunctional family than a team of superheroes, and that’s where the game hooks you.
💬 Choices That Actually Matter (Sort Of)
You can play Robert as:
- A hard-nosed commander who demands results
- Or a empathetic leader who believes in redemption
Your approach affects loyalty, trust, and even who stays or leaves the team.
It’s classic Telltale DNA — simple mechanics with emotional weight.
Sure, some choices feel like they just flavor dialogue, but a few hit hard. Especially when your leadership comes back to bite you.
🎨 Visuals & Direction
Dispatch looks surprisingly sharp.
The motion capture and animation are smooth, expressive, and vibrant.
Cutscenes feel cinematic without overdoing it, and the action sequences — while limited — are punchy and well-choreographed.
Think The Quarry’s realism mixed with comic-book energy.
⚖️ Where It Falls Short
No game’s perfect, and Dispatch stumbles a bit:
- The overarching villain plot takes a backseat for most of the game, then rushes the ending.
- The Dispatch Terminal becomes repetitive in later episodes.
- Some mini-games feel like filler between emotional beats.
Basically, the story arcs outshine the gameplay loops.
❤️ The Verdict – A Promising Start for Ad Hoc Studios
Despite its flaws, Dispatch nails what matters: great writing, engaging characters, and sharp performances.
It’s not trying to reinvent the genre — it’s trying to revive it.
And honestly? It succeeds.
If you’ve been craving something to scratch that Telltale itch, Dispatch is absolutely worth a shot.
It’s heartfelt, occasionally funny, and surprisingly human for a story about broken superheroes.
⭐ GameNautica Score: 8.5 / 10
Strong characters, clever dialogue, and genuine emotion — slightly held back by repetitive systems and a rushed finale.
