TL;DR

Pros

• Well-written, engaging story and script

• Palpable chemistry between characters, with top-notch voice acting

• Story driven by player choices

• Can run on less powerful PCs

Cons

• Core gameplay loop is boring

• Overpriced on consoles

Score: 5/7 — A solid game worth playing

Reviewed on PC; available on PC and PlayStation 5 — $30 (console price), $10.49 (Steam)

I think we can all agree that the superhero genre in media has become somewhat stale, with Marvel establishing its dominance over the past two decades and countless companies churning out mediocre products trying to copy it.

However, the Batman Arkham series, Sony’s Spider-Man games and the upcoming Wolverine demonstrate that there is still a market for superhero games. Adhoc Studios’ Dispatch, a completely new intellectual property (IP), is the latest addition to that club.

Dispatch is a management simulator where you don’t play as a superhero, but send them to various incidents. It’s very story-heavy, with most of the game being made up of (well-acted) cutscenes in between the core gameplay loop of dispatching heroes.

After playing this refreshing take on the superhero genre, I can say that Dispatch is one of the best TV shows you’ll ever play.

Clocking in

Dispatch boasts a cartoon art style evocative of Amazon’s ‘Invincible’, with vibrant colours and costumes, and unique character designs. Adhoc has managed to create some truly unique characters who will resonate with audiences not just visually, but in terms of their personalities too.

The art design is solid, as is the animation in the cutscenes, whether it’s a slow, dialogue-heavy scene or an action-packed battle sequence. The cinematography and episodic structure of the game reinforce the feeling of playing through a TV show.

I’m impressed by the look and overall presentation, but even more by how smoothly it runs on a less powerful system. I opted to play the PC version of the game because, in my opinion, it is overpriced on PlayStation given the core gameplay loop.

I’ve got a standard laptop, and the game ran mostly well. It stuttered and froze whenever there was a lot of movement or screen effects, but ran well during slower, more emotional moments in the story.

However, there is a hacking mini-game in Dispatch which runs at a slower framerate than the rest of the game, which was jarring and made hacking sequences a chore. These (hopefully) won’t be issues on a more powerful computer or a console.

I also experienced a glitch in the final episode, which forced me to restart. For me, it was just a one-off, but your mileage may vary.

One of 2025’s best shows

Dispatch follows Robert Robertson (yes, that is his actual name), a superhero known as Mecha Man. Piloting a suit of advanced armour, he is on a quest to find and defeat the supervillain Shroud.

Robert’s armour is destroyed early in the game, but another hero named Blonde Blazer offers him a job working at the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN), sending heroes from the company’s Z-Team, made up of reformed villains, to protect the city of Torrance. In return, SDN will repair his suit, allowing him to resume his hero work.

This is as much as I’m going to reveal, since the rest of the story and its characters are something you truly need to experience yourself.

The game is presented as a workplace comedy, with superheroes who feel somewhat relatable as they deal with problems we normal folk face, ranging from interpersonal (and romantic) relationships to keeping their jobs to loss and grief.

It’s also worth noting that SDN is a walking HR nightmare.

The script is well-written and backed up by incredible voice acting. The cast includes some pretty big names, like Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright from The Batman and Laura Bailey, who has done voiceovers for many games, including The Last of Us: Part II.

Maybe having Jesse Pinkman himself voice the protagonist is why it’s overpriced on consoles.

The cast delivers outstanding performances, with many lines invoking side-splitting laughter. There is genuine and palpable chemistry between characters, and no line of dialogue feels forced or out of place. There are no jokes for the sake of jokes, and emotional moments are communicated well.

The humour and jokes may feel crass to some, but so far, I’ve enjoyed the flavour of comedy on display.

I found the cast endearing, especially Robert, with his deadpan delivery and dry humour, and I was invested in them and their transformation from villains to heroes.

Another noteworthy aspect of the story is that key plot points depend on player choices, such as in-game romances, firing certain members of the Z-Team, and whether some characters turn from good to evil and vice versa.

This gives Dispatch replay value, as players can go through the story again and experience different outcomes. You’ll never have the same narrative twice.

This is your dispatcher speaking

While the story is engaging, the core gameplay loop, unfortunately, isn’t.

Gameplay consists of staring at a map screen where calls requiring a hero will pop up.

Selecting a call gives a brief description of the incident, with the descriptions acting as clues about which heroes are required based on five attributes: combat, mobility, charisma, intellect and vigour (durability). Based on these clues, you can either dispatch a single hero or a combination of them.

You then watch a portrait of your hero moving across the map and wait for a meter to fill up at the call location.

When a call is completed, you are shown two graphs: the attributes your heroes have, and those the caller required. The overlapping area of these graphs indicates your chance of success, which increases the more your hero meets the requirements.

This is the main gameplay loop, rinse and repeat.

There are little things which offer a bit of variety, such as disruptions which heroes need to overcome or a hero going AWOL for some reason.

Said heroes can also have their attributes levelled up, allowing you to hand-craft a specialised team of responders.

Calls are sometimes punctuated with hilarious dialogue between your team, which is entertaining amid the monotony of gameplay and also differs based on the choices you make throughout the story.

However, after a few hours, the novelty wears off, and dispatching becomes repetitive and monotonous.

No matter how good the cutscenes are, it does not change the fact that the gameplay involves staring at a map and clicking icons, with the occasional hacking sequence thrown in. Some people might find this appealing, particularly the strategic element of dispatching, but I wouldn’t pay $30 for this.

The verdict

Dispatch is truly a unique game in this day and age. Surrounded by sequels, reboots and remasters, it not only stands out as an original IP, but as a unique take on the superhero genre.

I can’t recall any other experience centred around sending superheroes to ports of call that are this well-written and acted, while looking this good.

While the gameplay can get monotonous and boring, the cutscenes will keep you hooked like a solid TV show. The next comedic exchange or big twist is what keeps you going through the core gameplay loop.

I’m torn on what to award this, as it’s better as something to watch rather than play. If you can find it on sale, I highly recommend picking this up. If you are willing to pay the full price to play on console, I’ll leave that to your discretion.