The highly anticipated narrative-based game Dispatch was recently released by AdHoc Studio in partnership with the team behind the viral DnD campaign Critical Role. A narrative-based game putting the player in the shoes of a dispatcher for a superhero team, AdHoc Studio kept a tight lid on the final product, and at first fans only got to experience a short demo. Boasting a star-studded voice cast and the familiar Telltale Games dialogue style, the game was worth the wait and secrecy.
AdHoc Studio, an important team behind video games “The Wolf Among Us”, “Tales from the Borderlands”, and “The Walking Dead”, was one of the many studios that emerged from the collapse of the video game developer Telltale Games. Similar to other games from Telltale Games’ offshoots, the gameplay is a mix of choose-your-own-adventure, timed dialogue, quick time events, and adventure game elements. However, it features fewer free-roam areas and aims for a cinematic feel, especially during the opening superhero fight and bar fight scenes.
Dispatch follows Robert Robinson III, a superhero known as “Mecca Man” after his mech suit. During an attempt to avenge his father’s death, the story’s antagonist, Shroud, irreparably destroys his mech suit. A superhero agency has heard about your situation and offers to rebuild the suit in exchange for your work as the new dispatcher and leader of their team. Your goal is to complete calls, level up your heroes, and make sure they use their powers for good.
The core gameplay involves dispatching shifts, in which the player sends heroes out to various jobs with a chance of success depending on their ability to make informed decisions using the provided information.
Instead of relying on luck, some calls require sending a hero with a certain level in one of five traits: combat, vigor, mobility, intelligence, or charisma. The hero resolves the situation using a specific power or skill, from flying to understanding tax law. If you fail the call, lack the necessary characteristics, or if the hero’s skill worsens the situation, the hero’s traits could be cut in half for the rest of the shift.
Each character has dispatch skills that provide a unique advantage to the gameplay, such as Invisigal completing calls faster, and Punch-Up’s strength preventing him from being taken down. Skills can be upgraded later on in the story. The hacking minigames, in which the player navigates a ball through a maze, add another layer of interest and show the protagonist’s tech skills.
The writing is spot on for a dark comedy superhero-based office drama. It can be tongue-in-cheek, in theme with its cast of antiheroes, and has a good balance of comedy mixed with more emotional scenes. With a great cast, clever writing, and an engaging character-driven plot set up, Dispatch sticks the landing with superhuman-strength.
