Dispatch Review – Company of Heroes

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Superhero stories can make us feel a lot of different emotions. Some, like Batman, are dark and gritty, while others, like Superman, are inspiring and optimistic. These epic, fantastical conflicts offer an escape from the ordinary. But despite all the amazing powers and huge battles, what really draws us in is seeing the characters grapple with relatable, personal problems. It’s compelling to see even the most powerful heroes deal with everyday struggles and inner conflicts.

Dispatch, the first full story-driven game from AdHoc Studio since they first announced The Wolf Among Us 2 with Telltale Games, explores difficult themes like overcoming negative impulses, striving for improvement despite constant setbacks, pursuing heroism when you feel unqualified, and healing from deep-seated pain. It approaches these topics with a focus on the human experience.

Players familiar with games like those from Telltale will quickly recognize the format: lots of cutscenes, choices you make during conversations, and little reminders that characters won’t forget what you said. But Dispatch is more than just a typical game in that style. It boasts clever writing, incredibly well-developed and likable characters, and surprisingly engaging gameplay that makes it stand out from other story-driven adventures.

The characters in this story are incredibly well-written, and that’s true of many others as well. Adding humor to superhero stories is often difficult, particularly now that audiences are accustomed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Dispatch manages it flawlessly. The snappy dialogue, quick pace, and fantastic acting all contribute to its success.

The story opens with Robert Robertson, known as Mecha Man – or the current hero wearing the suit. After a tough fight with the enigmatic Shroud and his powerful team, the suit is badly damaged. Robert then unexpectedly meets the Blonde Blazer, who offers him a job at the Superhero Dispatch Network. There, he’s in charge of managing a team of superheroes, assigning them missions and tracking their work.

Robert’s job is unique: he manages a team of former supervillains who still have some attitude. The show, Dispatch, feels a lot like a workplace comedy—think The Office but with super-powered individuals, similar to the Thunderbolts concept. These so-called ‘reformed’ villains—the Z-Team—are both funny and incredibly powerful, and the show’s strong writing will keep you invested in their stories, even when they’re at their worst.

Invisigal has the power to become invisible, but she can only do it while holding her breath. Because she has asthma, her inhaler is just as important to her as her fighting skills. Sonar is a brilliant Harvard grad, though he often comes across as arrogant or foolish – it will become clear why later. He can also transform into Mega Bat, which doesn’t change his personality, but gives him more options in a fight. Flambae is quick to anger, both in how he acts and the powers he uses, but he makes up for his lack of smarts with a charming, confident personality.

The characters in this story are incredibly well-written, and the humor really works. Comedy can be hard to get right in superhero stories, especially now after the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Dispatch does it perfectly. The snappy dialogue, quick pace, and fantastic acting all come together seamlessly.

Travis Willingham’s character, Phenomaman, initially seems like a typical arrogant Superman-type, but he’s surprisingly naive and unaware. Mayanna Berrin, who also co-writes the show, plays Coupé as a mysterious superhero assassin, but her witty remarks and dry humor make her stand out. Alanah Pearch portrays Malevola as a powerful and intimidating figure, yet she manages to be both relatable and surprisingly friendly.

Unexpected problems pop up that test your skills, forcing you to use a hero’s special abilities to fix them. However, if you choose the right hero for the task, they can often handle it quickly and safely without any trouble.

Choosing a favorite character is tough because they’re all so well-developed, especially how they celebrate wins or playfully tease each other with references to famous artists – a risky move that really works. But Robert Robertson, brilliantly played by Aaron Paul, truly holds everything together. He manages to convincingly portray a character who is both innocent and world-weary, hopeful and cynical, creating a surprisingly complex and believable performance.

Although the game Dispatch is very funny, that’s just one aspect of its compelling story. Robert is a relatable character – he tries to do good even without superpowers or his family’s special item – but he’s also realistically flawed, sometimes getting angry or frustrated. The way he reacts largely depends on your choices as the player, but it doesn’t feel like you’re forcing him to be a certain type of person. Instead, all his different sides feel like parts of the same character, making conversations feel genuine and consistent. The story has several other interesting storylines, and I don’t want to reveal them – they’re best discovered by playing the game yourself.

Many games like Telltale’s rely heavily on story and presentation because the gameplay itself is often simple. Dispatch is different; it integrates its story directly into how you play. As a dispatcher, you’ll receive new calls and emergencies during your shift, and you must send the appropriate hero – or team of heroes, if you have enough available – to handle them. Each member of the Z-Squad has unique strengths. For example, Prism is both charming and a strong fighter, while Golem excels at dealing damage and absorbing attacks.

Different heroes have different strengths, so it’s often smart to send the best ones to handle specific crises. Once they finish a mission, they need to recover at headquarters, meaning they’re temporarily out of action – unless you can give them a quick boost, like a cup of coffee. New emergencies will always arise, so you’ll need to carefully manage your team and resources.

While some games like this can get repetitive, Dispatch keeps things fresh with unexpected twists. When problems arise, you’ll need to use each hero’s unique skills to handle emergencies – or, if you choose wisely, send the perfect hero to solve them instantly and without any danger. The game also includes fun hacking challenges where you control Robert, guiding him through a network to unlock doors, find passwords, and avoid viruses, all to track down criminals or gain control of security cameras.

Despite a good start with its first two episodes, I didn’t expect AdHoc Studio to create a story that would become one of my favorites of the year, not just in gaming, but overall.

And there’s more! Heroes gain experience points (XP) by completing tasks, letting you improve their abilities. You can focus on making them excel at what they’re already good at, or develop them to better handle different situations. I developed Sonar as a smart and charming hero, and Invisigal as a powerful, quick one. But Malevola gradually became a hero who could fill any gaps and strengthen any team.

Each hero has unique abilities. For example, Invisigal performs best working solo, and Prism can create a duplicate with half of their own strength. You can also train your heroes, choosing special skills for each one. Flambae’s risky power is reflected in his Supernova ability: completing two jobs back-to-back dramatically boosts his stats and removes the need for rest, but a single failure will reduce all his stats to their lowest level. Heroes can get hurt or become unavailable, so you’ll need to adjust your strategy. When heroes work well together repeatedly, they unlock powerful combinations, making them even stronger.

Despite everything happening around them, the story never feels weighed down; instead, these elements enhance and highlight different parts of it. The heroes frequently chat with each other – and with Robert – while on duty, and occasionally pursue their own separate goals. The game’s smooth controls and interface keep the action flowing, and the variety of choices and strategies make it surprisingly replayable.

Dispatch truly shines when it comes to how it looks and sounds – the visuals and music are exceptional, often feeling like a polished animated TV series rather than a game. I was also really impressed with the camera work, editing, and how the cutscenes were put together. Even if you didn’t play the game, the story would be captivating. But with the gameplay and choices you make, it becomes an irresistible superhero adventure.

I was pleasantly surprised by Dispatch from AdHoc Studio. After a strong start with the first two episodes, I didn’t expect it to become one of my favorite stories of the year, in any medium. It’s filled with so much passion – in the writing, acting, and overall presentation – that it’s incredibly captivating. The future of Robert, Z-Squad, and the SDN is uncertain, but this is a story you won’t want to miss.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2025-11-18 20:19