Ever since Telltale Games went through a rough patch, the choice-based narrative adventure genre has often felt like it’s in a precarious position. This may have been alleviated somewhat by the reborn developer’s The Expanse: A Telltale Series, but the genre has never quite been the same since the studio’s near demise in 2018. Well, it’s a pleasure to report that a new hero is here to save the day…and it’s packing some serious heat.
Dispatch wears its Telltale leanings on its sleeve. Developed by the burgeoning AdHoc Studio — which is comprised of many veteran developers behind some of Telltale’s greatest hits — this superhero workplace comedy drama feels like both a breath of fresh air and a long-awaited rebirth for the genre. With eight total episodes, all of which have now been released, and a run-time clocking in at around 8-10 hours, it’s a superhero series that is so compelling, so competent and so damn enjoyable that it’s hard not to feel like the familiar formula has been revitalised.
Players assume the role of Robert Robertson III — the latest in the Robertson family to assume the moniker of Mecha Man, a widely respected hero that pilots a superpowered mecha suit. Like Marvel’s Iron Man, Robert doesn’t have any superpowers himself, so when his suit is nearly destroyed, he’s forced onto the sidelines. That is until Blonde Blazer — a famed superhero at the peak of her powers — recruits him as a dispatcher for the SDN (Superhero Dispatch Network). Forced into a desk job as a glorified babysitter for an experimental team of reformed villains known as the Z Team, Robert has to slowly whip them into shape while he waits for his suit to be repaired.
Or not. Robert’s success with the Z Team is largely dependent on the decisions the player makes throughout the experience. Choices matter, and the decisions made along the way often have implications further down the line, and are flagged to the player in much the same way as they are in Telltale’s games (so-and-so will remember that). There’s a healthy spread of choices to be made in each episode; some have almost immediate consequences, while others aren’t felt until many episodes later. Regardless of the player’s chosen path, Dispatch offers a well-paced and well-written story that is genuinely moving at times.
What really sets the experience ablaze (in a good way) is the incredible writing. It’s witty and often genuinely funny, brought to life by an all-star cast of voice actors with zero weak links. Aaron Paul and Laura Bailey are the obvious standouts, but so are famed YouTubers Jacksepticeye and MoistCr1TiKaL in their respective roles. The main protagonists here are unlikely heroes that you can’t help but root for, backed by some really strong characterisation.
For instance, Invisigal (voiced by Bailey) is an almost-but-not-quite-reformed petty thief who can turn invisible at will, but only while holding her breath. However, her powers are tempered by chronic asthma, made all the worse by her smoking habit. There’s so much going on with her character that’s neatly evident in these traits alone, and most characters in Dispatch are similarly well-realised.
This is all brought together by a main villain who is genuinely chilling, unlike some of the flat and uninspired clichés we’ve had to go through in recent mainstream superhero entertainment. It also helps that Dispatch’s chief antagonist is voiced by the exceptional Matthew Mercer, who puts in a great performance despite only taking centre stage in the latter half of the game.
Another hero worth mentioning isn’t even a character at all; Dispatch’s original soundtrack is exquisite, as are the licensed songs that accompany it. Each song is perfectly selected and orchestrated, and drives home the importance of killer sound in bringing experiences like this to life.
In terms of gameplay, there are some nice twists to mention as well. Aside from the familiar interactive cutscenes that Telltale Games fans will be familiar with, Dispatch has a couple of tight minigames to break up the cinematic action. Players won’t take full control of Robertson to navigate him through investigative segments like Telltale’s games do well, but this is replaced with something that’s arguably even more enjoyable.
The dispatching minigame sees players responding to crimes around LA on a simple but well-appointed map, choosing from a roster of available heroes to tackle specific crimes. Each hero has strengths, weaknesses and personal traits that make them good (or bad) for specific calls, so some strategising is required in order to beat each shift and level up your team in good time. It can be pretty manic, especially in the later shifts, but it’s always enjoyable and could easily stand as a separate experience on its own.
The hacking minigame is less compelling but still well-wrought, requiring players to navigate through virtual mazes and crack firewalls to give their team an edge on the job. Both minigames never overstay their welcome, feeling perfectly at home in the midst of the excellent character shenanigans that take place during the narrative segments.
If there’s one gripe to be had with an otherwise glorious experience, it’s that there are very few — if any — morally grey choices. Most choices have predictable outcomes in the long run, largely cleaving to either good or bad outcomes. This isn’t necessarily a let-down, though, as it makes it easier to tailor the story as you go, ultimately culminating in a more relaxed choice-based system that eschews much of the second-guessing of your choices.
In totality, Dispatch is extremely solid, and often much more than that. Its characters and story — and the multiple ways this story can unfold — are utterly entertaining from start to finish. The only significant drawback is that there isn’t more of it. Roll on season two, please!
