- Publisher: AdHoc Studio
- Release Date: Oct 22, 2025
- Also On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Switch
- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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Nov 21, 2025More of a cinematic, highly polished visual novel than a full-fledged adventure game or even a strategic superhero simulator, Dispatch makes being the proverbial “guy in the chair” a delightful experience well worth hopping into.
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Oct 26, 2025Overall, Dispatch delivers a gripping narrative experience with beautiful presentation and well-crafted dialogue choices. While it offers limited direct interaction, its storytelling depth more than makes up for it. For fans of dialogue-driven adventures, this is a must-play, and you’ll finish it with a genuinely satisfying feeling.
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Nov 12, 2025Dispatch is an incredible narrative experience wrapped around an idea so good that it could stand alone as its own game. [Full Series review]
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Nov 25, 2025Dispatch is a fun and visually appealing narrative adventure. Its dialogue is razor sharp, coming out of characters’ mouths that have a lot of personality and, most importantly, heart. It’s a game with characters that I enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know, with a management system that needed me to know the ins and outs of the strengths and weaknesses of each villain in my care. AdHoc have a very strong IP with Dispatch, and I hope that this is just the start for Robert Robertston and his merry group of villains, whose work turns them into the heroes they never thought they could become.
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Nov 18, 2025After years of tired formulas and disappointing attempts within the genre, Dispatch arrives as a genuine breath of fresh air. It is captivating, tense, and surprisingly sharp in how it tells a story about heroes. Every character is written with clear motivation and emotional weight, and the narrative shines thanks to a gameplay structure that is simple on the surface yet deeply effective. The balance between watching cinematic moments, making meaningful choices, and remaining actively engaged is the best the genre has offered in a long time. In short, Dispatch is one of the strongest hero-focused experiences I have played in years and one of the most pleasant surprises of 2025.
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Nov 26, 2025Dispatch is one of the best-written games of our generation and another proof that AdHoc studio are the best in what they do. From gameplay to characters, everything is as it should be - only if the pacing allowed it all to develop fully.
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Nov 17, 2025Dispatch is absolute cinema, literally and figuratively. AdHoc has truly crafted a delightful experience with its workplace-comedy superhero narrative, one that features a strong cast of well-written and eccentric characters, making you eager to meet them again like long-distance BFFs. The gameplay can be slightly tricky to grasp, but ultimately becomes a hyper-engaging burst of time-based unit management. Each character is so lovable at heart that you won't even need a lengthy backstory for context. And with a writing direction that strongly emphasizes character relationships and banter with one another, it is one of the most cathartic video game experiences that I had this year, making me grateful for every minute I spent with Robert and his crew, as well as making me want to support AdHoc in any way possible in a plea for making another season on these whimsy goofballs.
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Edge MagazineDec 24, 2025So why, despite jokes about this not being the golden age of comics any more, does Dispatch feel like a retrograde step? [Issue#419, p.118]
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Oct 21, 2025While there are a few problems, like the controls feeling occasionally fiddly on a controller, I was pleasantly surprised by this part of the game, and the dispatching loop does a good job putting us in Robert’s stressed-out headspace, as the happenings from this mode bleed into the cutscenes outside of them...That said, there are a few other rough edges to the experience as well, at least on PC: I had a big problem with screen tearing, even with V-sync on, as well as some audio desync issues that distractingly sprang up during more busy setpieces.
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Nov 17, 2025It's both the funniest and most exciting game story of the year, presented in a package of incredible creative integrity. Dispatch presents the most convincing argument against player-facing generative AI in video games. It's full of life and character that machines will never be able to replicate.
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Nov 16, 2025Dispatch is excellent entertainment: it captivates you from the first frame and doesn't let go until the final credits. The characterizations are stellar, the direction is meticulous, and the visuals are simply captivating. The problem is that, gameplay-wise, it's only a bare bones game, where the gameplay is completely separated from the narrative. Those looking for a game to experience rather than play will love it; those looking for a game where your choices have real weight will risk bitter disappointment. What's certain is that works like this force us, once again, to question what a video game is. Is a great story enough to make you forget you're holding a controller?
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch isn’t a triumph of mechanical innovation. It doesn’t reinvent the narrative adventure game, but it doesn’t pretend to. On the other hand, it delivers one of the most compelling interactive dramas in years, an adult animated superhero story with the emotional punch of prestige television and a script that truly shines. I didn’t want to stop playing just because I needed to know what happened next; I kept playing because I cared who it was happening to.
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch is absolutely “phenomamal!” Much like a good TV show, its weekly release schedule had me waist-deep in fan theories and discussions, a feat owed largely to the game’s consistently sharp writing and compelling characters. Sure, the pacing is slower than I’d like at times, and the illusion of player choice starts to fade once you notice the train tracks. Even so, I adore how the gameplay is always tied to the story and how the plot feeds back into the dispatch calls. When the credits rolled and all was said and done, I could do nothing more than raise my arms and mutter, “absolute cinema!”
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Nov 23, 2025Thanks to Dispatch, AdHoc and the Telltale veterans who comprise it brought back the episodic narrative game format that made this legendary studio famous with flying colors. The story of Robert and the Z-Team is a constant delight, driven by incredibly endearing characters, phenomenal voice acting, and stunning art direction, all within a fast-paced narrative entirely dictated by our choices. The game also shines with its incredibly addictive and intuitive management mechanics, which perfectly put us in the shoes of a team leader of rookies who will eventually become true superheroes, though this aspect loses some of its appeal once the initial surprise of the first playthrough wears off. This clever mix is, in any case, the indie gem we anticipated, and we now cannot wait to see the Z-Team for a potential second season ! We are nevertheless following the upcoming projects of this promising young studio with great interest.
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Nov 24, 2025Dispatch is a well-written and innovative superhero comedy worth your time. From its charming team of heroes-in-progress to fun dispatching gameplay, it’s a title that’s easy to recommend.
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch now stands as the benchmark episodic narrative game — a new reference point for what the genre can do best. A superb art direction, dynamic staging, and a strong cast elevate the experience, delivering a superhero story that may be fairly classic, but is filled with heart. What truly stands out, however, is its ability to add a management gameplay layer that blends seamlessly and meaningfully into the adventure.
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Nov 19, 2025Dispatch stands out as one of the year’s stronger games, with well-written dialogue, excellent voice acting, and a simple but well-executed story. While the narrative stays solid throughout its eight episodes, some romance elements and swearing feel unnecessarily forced. A second playthrough reveals that many events are fixed, making player choices less impactful than expected. Despite these drawbacks, the game remains a high-quality experience with impressive visuals and enjoyable gameplay.
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Nov 30, 2025Despite a number of missteps, Dispatch has become one of the most notable games of the passing year. And given its success, the development of a second season already seems inevitable.
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Nov 24, 2025A clever and often funny take on the superhero genre, with a tight narrative that pulls you in and refuses to let go throughout its eight episodes.
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Nov 17, 2025Dispatch takes a great leap above Telltale's former experiences, keeping the strong writing while elevating a sense of player agency and pushing out an incredibly addictive gameplay loop. Dispatch is simply one of the best pure narrative experiences we've had in gaming in years, and it's another game among many that deserves a 2025 GOTY nomination.
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Dec 2, 2025Dispatch, the superhero title from AdHoc, builds on the early roots of Telltale and delivers one of the finest games in its genre. It features an excellent story that blends humor, action, and interpersonal drama. Choices are not merely cosmetic and genuinely alter the course of scenes and even the characters who appear in them. Thanks to engaging hacking mechanics and, above all, the core simulation of a superhero dispatcher, it also plays well and never feels like just a movie with the occasional dialogue option. Superb voice acting and music are simply the icing on the cake.
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Nov 14, 2025While the rest of the team doesn't get the same treatment as Invisigal, they're all enjoyable to interact with, regardless of whether you choose to make choices or not. While the lack of branches in the narrative keeps most choices from feeling substantial enough to warrant careful consideration, the arc of Invisigal's potential redemption, incredible writing, and stellar voice acting make this one of the best superhero dramas I've watched. Plus, the act of dispatching heroes and growing as a leader is a fun interlude between all the choice-making, especially when you can see your improvement reflected in Robert's growth throughout the story. I have my qualms with parts of it, but Dispatch is more than worthy of getting a second season. The writing and world-building behind its story are too good for this to be a one-and-done entry.
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Oct 21, 2025Dispatch is an all-time great, and I hope we’ll see it contend for GOTY. After an incredibly successful season, Adhoc’s developers totally deserve to put their feet up and luxuriate within all of this success … not for too long though. I’d quite like a second season please.
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Nov 18, 2025You would think that a Telltale-style episodic adventure game wouldn't take off in this day and age, but Dispatch will prove you wrong (and offer an incredibly endearing story to boot).
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Nov 17, 2025Dispatch is a very uneven experience. It has polish in some places but severely lacks it in others. It has great characters but you don’t get to spend much time with the good ones. The dispatching segments can be fun but feel somewhat shallow. The game has sparks of absolute brilliance, though can use those sparks to start a dumpster fire. It’s worth playing and enjoyable for any fans of narrative focused games or superheroes, but might be memorable for the wrong reasons.
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Nov 25, 2025Dispatch is a very interesting spin on the „interactive adventure” formula, and this band of super-misfits probably will steal your hearts as efficiently as the Guardians of the Galaxy or Invincible’s allies did some years earlier. And the best part: the developers have total control and don’t have to listen to any IP owners out there. This game really is a great animated series.
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Nov 14, 2025Dispatch is an impressive hero story, a compelling tale of flawed humans who can become something more when given a new chance to shine. The game combines a compelling emotional aspect of building bonds with them and the strategic element of managing a group of heroes to save a big city from many simultaneous problems. With an inspired direction, this is a great start for AdHoc Studio and signals that they are a group of developers to keep an eye on for future experiences as well.
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Dec 3, 2025Dispatch isn't a perfect game, but it's about as perfect a game for me as I've played. AdHoc has crafted a wonderful superhero world that I hope to revisit, but more than that, they've created a remarkable cast of characters filled with nuance, growth, humour, tragedy, and everything else that you want to see in great stories. I cheered. I cried (on the inside). I laughed. What more can I ask for? As a good experience should, I've been left wanting more, and I'll be the first in line to pick up whatever this studio does next - Dispatch or otherwise.
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Nov 16, 2025A true spiritual successor to the Telltale Games of the 2010s, Dispatch cleverly toes the line between TV show and video game, delivering on both halves in equal measure. Its cavalcade of multidimensional characters shines thanks to great writing further buffeted by a star-studded cast. The hands-on minigame of managing my superhero team from behind a desk is both a tense delight and a smart way to tie the conversations you have into the actual action, with only the hacking puzzles feeling like a less than thrilling distraction. An emotional rollercoaster in all the right ways, Dispatch is a decision-packed adventure that hones in on the hero behind the super. I’m only left with one question… how long until Season 2?
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Oct 30, 2025The first season of the branching adventure Dispatch delivers the best example yet of how the classic Telltale Games formula can be adapted into an even more accessible experience. A strong script, great presentation, and excellent voice acting lift this title well above many other games in the genre.
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Dec 16, 2025Dispatch puts you in the heart of moral dilemmas as a dispatcher, with cryptic requests, strong voice acting, a vivid graphic novel style, and an immersive soundtrack. Eight episodes full of choices, reflection, and moral tension.
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Nov 14, 2025With a classic but captivating story, endearing characters, flawless staging, and genuine replayability, Dispatch easily stands out as one of the must-haves of the year.
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Nov 14, 2025Over eight episodes, Dispatch doesn't waste a single second. There's no filler here, just quality, in a touching narrative told at a perfectly paced rhythm, brought to life by animation quality that rivals the best productions. Aaron Paul and Laura Bailey stand out in a cast marked by surprising performances, bringing to life a group of villains who have become heroes in my heart. The writing and dialogue are so superb that they immediately made me forget the odd narrative cliché. What remains is the mark of a story and a team of superheroes that I will not soon forget.
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Dec 9, 2025Like any good superhero, Dispatch has a secret identity. On the surface, it’s a goofy, Office-style visual novel stuffed with fart jokes and the occasional bit of casual nudity. But that’s just the costume. Step closer, actually engage with the narrative, and it transforms into something much more sincere. It’s a story about the weight of our pasts, and what it means to finally move forward from them. It’s about choosing who you want to become instead of quietly accepting the role Fate hands you. I’m not even a little embarrassed to admit this game made me cry—yes, the same game where a drug-addicted bat monster gets handcuffed to a weight rack because he thought the angelic assassin was going to show him her boobs. Beneath the absurdity and the superpowers, it’s the real people who break through: the flawed, messy, painfully human characters who reach out and connect with you. That’s where Dispatch truly shines.
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Dec 20, 2025The colorful Dispatch brings interactive story telling back to the gaming markets.
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Nov 13, 2025With smart, witty writing delivered by top tier talent, Dispatch tells a gripping story that will have you laughing out loud and gawping at the consequences of your decisions in equal measure.
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Nov 16, 2025Dispatch proves that there is still plenty of room for narrative-driven adventures, especially when they are written and directed as masterfully as in this case. There are inherent limitations to this type of “game,” but Dispatch does everything it can to ensure that they don't weigh it down.
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Dec 1, 2025Dispatch is a vibrant narrative adventure that channels the spirit of classic Telltale storytelling. Centered on the grounded yet compelling Mecha Man, it offers a character-driven experience filled with meaningful choices, sharp voice acting, and a refreshing presentation style. While it nails emotional dynamics and voice performances, uneven pacing and gameplay repetition occasionally dull its impact. Still, fans of episodic storytelling will find plenty to enjoy in this heartfelt debut.
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Nov 13, 20252025 was already an incredible year for video game fans, and Dispatch manages to close out this great year for games with an extremely sensitive, well-constructed story, showcasing the power of narrative-focused adventures and how they can be as potent an art form as a AAA title or, in the case of Dispatch, a series or film production.
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Dec 10, 2025Pierre Shorette shouldn’t keep us waiting, the new season of Dispatch needs to arrive as soon as possible.
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch is full of heart and jokes, and it's one of the best superhero TV shows around.
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Nov 21, 2025Dispatch marks a triumphant return for episodic adventure games, with tons of charme, wits and style. While we would have hoped for more impactful decisions and a bit more depth in the strategic layer, the amazing cast and likeable characters easily make up for this. Can't wait for Season 2!
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Dec 5, 2025Dispatch is a wonderfully pleasant surprise—from its excellent voice cast and its fresh take on the overplayed superhero theme, to gameplay mechanics that blend Telltale-style storytelling with innovative systems. Most importantly, it delivers a beautiful, fun, emotional, and thoroughly entertaining story that’s hard to put down until the very end—and even then, it leaves you wanting more.
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Nov 24, 2025Dispatch is a standout achievement in interactive cinema, crafted by former Telltale talent at Adhoc. It delivers a gripping, emotional superhero drama which story shines thanks to sharp writing, memorable characters, strong humor, and Hollywood-quality presentation. While the management system lacks real narrative impact, it still enriches the experience by deepening your bonds with the cast. With excellent animation, voice acting, and music, Dispatch becomes an unforgettable ride that blends comedy, heart, and cinematic style at a level few studios attempt.
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Dec 8, 2025While the gameplay itself is superficial, Dispatch is a surprisingly funny and poignant debut that shows great potential.
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Nov 13, 2025As it stands, however, Dispatch is the culmination of all the lessons AdHoc's developers have learned from their time at Telltale Games and Night School Studio. This is a game that knows exactly what kind of story it wants to tell, and it tells it confidently, self-assuredly, even in a genre that was once considered to be overcrowded and overdone.
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Jan 9, 2026It understands that humans are at the heart of superheroics, and that a magical suit is less important than a desire to uplift everyone around you, and to help them realise their potential. To see past their flaws, to see what they can become. To save the world, one person at a time.
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Nov 14, 2025Dispatch is my most pleasant surprise this year. In a pop culture landscape that’s littered with superhero parodies and deconstructions, Dispatch manages to carve its own unique path. The message that anyone is capable of doing good, regardless of where they came from or the mistakes they've made in the past, truly resonated with me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a little emotional during the final credit roll...On top of that, it’s a hilarious superhero romp with satisfying storylines and characters that I am practically begging to see again. If this is the standard of quality that we can expect from AdHoc Studio, the interactive narrative genre is in good hands.
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Nov 20, 2025Dispatch is a fun and exciting adventure set in a world full of characters and factions I’d love to see more of. It’s hard not to get attached to this ragtag team of misfits and their exhausted work dad. I didn’t even realize how much I’d grown to like them until the more hard-hitting scenes. Here’s hoping that we’ll get a second season and that Phenomaman and Royd—the best boys, second only to Beef the fat dog—get more screentime then.
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Nov 16, 2025There’s a reason everyone is talking about Dispatch, and it’s because it’s a successful experiment. AdHoc Studios’ debut doesn’t aim to explode with power, but to burn slowly, like the superhero stories that have understood they’re not super anymore.
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Dec 20, 2025Dispatch is no repeat of the tired, mature superhero story, but rather a heartfelt adventure about former villains looking for a second chance. With a cast of lovable characters voiced by an all-star cast, impressive interactive gameplay, and all wrapped in a gorgeous animated art style, AdHoc Studio's debut title is the underdog of the year that has reopened the door that I thought was long closed on the episodic, choice-based narrative genre.
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Nov 26, 2025The modern superhero genre, with its real-world heroes and corporate dynamics, is very complicated to manage, even for those who work with superheroes every day. To perfectly capture its nuances, while also offering an original perspective, and to do so through a narrative adventure—another genre that's not easy to handle—is a success we truly didn't see coming. Dispatch is surprising, even just for how it manages to handle and connect such diverse dynamics within an experience that keeps you glued to the screen.
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Nov 26, 2025Dispatch is a humanistic drama about overcoming one's limits, wrapped in a superhero format. It excels in balancing mass appeal with depth—hooking players with attractive characters and events, while delivering a consistent message through sophisticated plotting and mature dialogue.
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch brilliantly sets the stage for AdHoc Studios to fill the void Telltale Games left and do it better. This superhero workplace comedy is full of heart, incredible character-driven storytelling and art, and is worth all of the praise it’s received and more.
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Nov 13, 2025It’s a deeply engaging interactive drama and management-RPG hybrid that combines smart superhero roleplay with strong character writing and fluid, cinematic presentation, and while its episodic structure and consequences give weight to decisions, it may lack full development in some supporting characters.
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Nov 21, 2025Dispatch is more of a TV show than a video game, and while some of its parts feel disjointed and forced, an endearing cast of characters and an uncommon comedy tone manage to glue everything together.
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Nov 13, 2025Dispatch is everything it needs to be and more. The vocal performances are emotive and captivating. What’s more, the title boasts a compelling story and excellent presentation; it does its damnedest to make your choices actually matter when tailoring your story. Dispatch is busy with heart, charm, and narrative weight.
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Nov 16, 2025AdHoc Studio have knocked it out of the park with its comedic take on the superhero life. Thanks to its high-quality graphics, voice acting, story, characters, music, and gameplay, you’ll be immersed the entire time you uncover the incredible story of Mecha Man and the Z-Team.
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Nov 14, 2025Dispatch is a genuine delight from start to finish. Aside from the minor (and as of this writing, now irrelevant) nag of having to wait for the entire "season" to be done, I can't think of any strong complaints. The characters are fun and likable, the plot is pretty darn enjoyable, and it's probably the most fun Telltale-style game I've ever played. Add to that the fun dispatch-themed gameplay, and you've got something that's firing on all cylinders. If the crude humor and concept don't turn you off, Dispatch is a must-play for any superhero fans.
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Nov 17, 2025Dispatch is a refreshing piece of gaming. Bringing back the Telltale-style choose your own adventure is great, but doing so with such brilliant style, technical proficiency and excellent script and performances has won me over entirely. Engaging from start to finish, Dispatch is easily one of my favourite games of the year, and a new standard in the genre.
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Nov 18, 2025Despite tripping over the finish line with a somewhat rushed ending, Dispatch still feels like a good adaptation of the Telltale format, winning me over with its genuinely fantastic voice acting and lovable cast of characters. It’s undeniable that the game relies on quite a bit of padding to hit its 8-hour runtime, but what is there is extremely engaging and well-made, scratching the itch for episodic gaming much better than Deck Nine or Supermassive could, although players used to the standard Telltale formula will most likely be disappointed by the infrequency of dialogue options, as well as the lack of more bombastic choices. Regardless, I firmly believe that the developers at AdHoc are pretty much only competing with their past work at Telltale, as bigger studios like Quantic Dream still fail to match their writing quality despite having ten times the budget. I’m quite excited to see what a season 2 for the game will look like, alongside any other titles AdHoc creates in the future, hopefully suffering from fewer growing pains and with a much higher budget considering how well Dispatch has been received.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Nov 26, 2025Dispatch debunks many things we believed to be axioms within the video game industry. On the one hand, it slaps down those who believe that superheroes no longer have anything interesting to say; on the other, it revives an episodic, narrative format that we thought had gone out of fashion in video games, and ends up offering a story and characters that we rarely see in this medium. [Recommended]
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Oct 30, 2025All in all, Dispatch is a game with a lot of potential. If we see this level of quality throughout the next six episodes, I have no doubt that we'll be looking at the biggest narrative experience of the year. Adhoc Studios has done well to harness the magic that made Telltale Games so great while also putting their own flair into it.
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Oct 21, 2025Dispatch shows a lot of promise, but it remains to be seen whether it can hold attention through the busy games season while drip-feeding the episodes. I hope it can because if the first couple of episodes are any indication, Dispatch could be something special. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, which isn’t easy to do to someone who’s hunched over like a goblin watching something alone. The writing is sharp, the acting is excellent, the animations wouldn’t feel out of place in a premium TV show, and the interactive sequences tease some amount of depth. I just think it’d be better off binged because of how little you actually play during an individual episode. [Review in Progress]
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Oct 27, 2025As of this review, Dispatch presents the dilemma all episodic games pose: We’re all too eager to play more, but have to patiently wait for the other episodes to release. While we thoroughly enjoy Dispatch’s gameplay and story, its cliffhangers will have you desperately begging for the rest of its content. [Review in Progress]
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Jan 29, 2026AdHoc's writers are well aware of these shortcomings, though that doesn't make them any less jarring to encounter. Other important choices, including how you handle the villain at the end, have weaker influence (often none at all) over how the story plays out. It's hard to get further away from what makes the Telltale games that inspired Dispatch work than that. Important choices are the main draw there. But overall, it works for Dispatch's unique hybrid of video game and cinema. If I'm watching The Lord of the Rings again, I'm doing it to appreciate the storytelling, the acting, the set design and quality of direction, the little details I never noticed before — not with the expectation that the story might change. And if I'm replaying Dispatch, which I will, I'm doing that for the same reasons.
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Nov 18, 2025Disappointing ending aside, Dispatch really is a gem of a game, and the fact that it came out of nowhere and grabbed the attention of fans the way it did is even more impressive. Few games manage to merge gameplay and story as well as this, and even if Dispatch Season 2 is a long way off, there’s still a ton of potential for this setting in the meantime.
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Oct 27, 2025The game’s strength lies in its writing and characters. Without the restrictions of working with licensed characters, the developers are wonderfully creative with their heroes. I thoroughly enjoyed the brief interactions between and with the weirdos in spandex you are given. As a non-powered hero, Robert navigates them with both tension and annoyance but not fear. I am looking forward to seeing how relationships develop and with whom Robert bonds.
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Oct 27, 2025We’re only two episodes in on the eight-episode arc, but Dispatch is already making a bid for one of my favourite games of the year. If you’re into Invincible or a fan of Telltale’s best works – that’s The Wolf Among Us, just so we’re clear – then you owe it to yourself to get onboard with Dispatch. You’ll still be in time for the water-cooler chat. [Episodes 1-2 review]
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Oct 21, 2025If you’ve been missing the days of classic Telltale games, Dispatch is practically a must-play. In its first two episodes, the game already shows strong potential, plenty of charm, and sharp writing — balancing humor, drama, and strategy with a kind of lightness that’s rare in the genre. [Review in Progress]
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