I was actually pretty interested in Dispatch when it was first revealed during The Game Awards 2024. I feel like there’s been a fair bit of time between the exhausting release of episodic games and the genre’s…let’s say hibernation that the prospect of a new one was actually exciting again. Not only that, but rather than being based on an existing property, this game was going to be its own unique story and ideas, which only sweetened the pot.
CGM got a chance to sit down with AdHoc Studio to get a first look at Dispatch, and it made a pretty impressive first impression. Not only does it look to tell a compelling and engaging story, rounded out by a cast of complex and interesting characters, but it’s got a lot more depth to its gameplay than the average point-and-click inspired narrative game.
COO & Dispatch Creative Director Nick Herman introduced us to the company in about as blunt a way as possible, saying, “We were founded in 2018 by two writers and two directors. We all cut our teeth working at Telltale Games. We like to think that we worked on some of the best titles that came out of the studio. But we’re not immune to critique…We read the comments.”
However, Herman also added that their experience at TellTale gave them a chance to learn from previous mistakes and work towards making something better. And Dispatch looks like it’s being built on a pretty solid foundation. Players take on the role of Robert Robertson (voiced by Aaron Paul), who was once a hero known as Mechaman. As Herman describes, “He’s kind of like our world’s Tony Stark, except he’s not smart, and he’s not rich.”
After Robert loses his Mech-suit in a battle, he’s forced to get a regular day job at the Superhero Dispatch Network, or SDN for short. But here’s the kicker—because of his status as a former hero, he has to manage a group of ex-villains effectively working off their sentences as heroes. Interestingly enough, the idea began as a pitch for a large company as a sort of interactive live-action TV show, but the whole project got shut down due to COVID.
But more directly, it was the idea of taking something like The Avengers and combining it with something like The Office, but as Herman explained, “one of the things we weren’t able to explore while we were at Telltale were the mechanics that were organic to the story we were telling.”
“Dispatch has an RPG-like structure where each hero has different stats based on Combat, Vigour, Mobility, Charisma, and Intellect.”
He went on to say how most development teams will come up with a really solid gameplay idea and then sort of iterate from there; however, they went about it differently, comparing the creation of Dispatch to that of a TV Show. “Basically, once we’re keyed in on what the narrative is going to be, who the characters are, we find mechanics that are fun and make sense in the context of that story,” said Herman.
Of course, as a narratively driven game, character interactions and dialogue will influence how the game progresses, but there is a lot more depth to the moment-to-moment gameplay working as a dispatcher that really adds a lot to the experience. Robert isn’t just a guy who receives calls and sends out heroes; he’s actively working to help them and make sure they succeed.
In the demo we were shown, we were given a small glimpse of how an average workday would go. To start, Comm lines are open, so any and all available heroes will chatter, talk smack, or look for a supportive ear to vent to. When emergencies arise, players will need to assign heroes best suited to each situation. These events can be minor, like getting a balloon out of a tree, or major, resulting in full-on scripted sequences.
Dispatch has an RPG-like structure where each hero has different stats based on Combat, Vigour, Mobility, Charisma, and Intellect. As you get to know your team, you’ll discover new skill sets and unlock new abilities that will give you a better chance for success—they’ll even gain stat points that players can assign to make them a more effective hero. However, messing up jobs can result in heroes becoming injured, which will lower their stats for future missions.
One of the things Herman assured us within Dispatch was that no heroes will permanently die, which is honestly a really refreshing approach to the genre, since, as I think most people can agree with by the end of the Telltale Walking Dead games, the deaths became far too predictable and the “choice” system became a little meaningless. Creating a game where a player’s decisions not only affect the story but also have a tangible effect on gameplay is definitely a step in the right direction.
But it’s not just engaging in conversation, assigning heroes to emergencies or providing direction during intense moments where players get involved. Dispatch also includes a hacking minigame that—to my own surprise—doesn’t look awful and actually adds meaningful options to different situations. If players navigate effectively, they can unlock additional information for scenes or use situational prompts to potentially give heroes an edge. It’s more proof that AdHoc know what they’re doing to create meaningful gameplay to inform the narrative of being the man behind the desk.
But Dispatch is made so much better by the talent behind its characters. During the preview, we got a decent glimpse of Aaron Paul bringing his sardonic and exhausted deliveries to Robert’s lines as he has to deal with this genuine downgrade in his life. On top of this, we got a first glimpse at Laura Bailey, portraying “Invisigal,” a hot-headed, bad joke-telling former villain who looks to be a bit of a wild card.
For a game that’s meant to be a dark comedy, I was curious to know whether Paul would bring some of the strong comedy chops he portrayed in Bojack Horseman to the experience, or if he would lean more towards Breaking Bad. And as CCO & Dispatch Narrative Director, Pierre Shorette explained, “because of the context with which Robert arrives into the story, it definitely starts in a place that’s a little bit more sarcastic and darker. But there’s certainly some silly beats along the way. A lot of behind-the-scenes silliness that Aaron was giving us.”
Dispatch looks set to learn from the mistakes of the past and deliver an experience that will certainly be as engaging to play as it is exciting to experience. The AdHoc team said they were inspired by shows like Ted Lasso, VEEP, Barry, Invincible and even Bojack Horseman; the theme of finding light in the darkness runs deep within the game and will surely leave a lasting impression.
Dispatch will premiere its first two episodes on October 22nd, 2025, for PC and PlayStation 5; following a two-episode per week structure for four weeks.
