Hold Up, Mate: Dispatch Is More Than Just a Game, It's a Glorious Act of Subversion
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Eurogamer's Robert Purchese unpacks *Dispatch*, a game using surprisingly overt humor (yes, including a penis) and narrative twists to subvert expectations, proving that its unique blend of wit, craft, and strategic gameplay makes it a genuinely brilliant and boundary-pushing experience.
Right, so I've been tinkering with some end-of-year gaming deep dives, and bloody hell, this one for *Dispatch* from Eurogamer's Robert Purchese is wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well, opening a portal to somewhere truly unexpected? That's what AdHoc Studio seems to have done with *Dispatch*, and fair dinkum, it’s got me properly intrigued.
Purchese kicks things off with a statement that, frankly, few gaming articles would dare to make: “Penises set Dispatch apart, and I mean that quite sincerely.” And honestly, mate, he’s not wrong. The very first encounter with a super-villain in this game involves a very visible, quite unapologetic dangling bit of anatomy. It's there, right in your face, daring you to look away. And here's the kicker: if you *do* flip the nudity switch off, it just gets replaced by a comically conspicuous black box, practically screaming, “Hey, there was something rude here!” It’s like trying to hide a dragon by putting a tiny hat on its head – it just draws *more* attention.
Now, most of us, when we see a 'nudity' option, our brains default to expecting a bit of digital cleavage, right? That’s the classic gaming trope. But *Dispatch* swerves harder than a goblin on a unicycle. It presents you with something entirely different, and according to narrative director Pierre Shorette, it's 100 percent a meta-joke. He told Purchese that watching streamers freak out, hitting pause to censor what they’ve just seen, is “very funny. People are uncomfortable around dicks.” And while that might sound crude on the surface, it’s actually a genius move. It immediately tells you, without a single word of exposition, that *Dispatch* isn't playing by the usual rules. It's set to push boundaries, to surprise, and to make you think – even if that thought is initially, “What the actual hell did I just see?!”
But the boundary-crossing doesn't stop at provocative anatomy. Oh no, that’s just the appetizer. Robert Purchese delves into another early game moment, and honestly, it’s another perfect example of *Dispatch*'s knack for narrative alchemy. Imagine this: you’ve just locked lips with the ex-girlfriend of a Superman-esque hero named Phenomaman – a being who could probably crush you like a flimsy bug under his super-powered thumb. You confess, bracing for the inevitable, classic superhero beat-down. But what happens instead? Phenomaman walks up to you, and he *kisses* you. Yeah, you heard me. A kiss. Instead of a confrontation. The reasons behind it are apparently totally unexpected and inspired, preserving that crucial mystery the game thrives on.
Now, why does this matter? Because 99 times out of a hundred, games and stories of this ilk would go for the predictable punch-up. *Dispatch* consistently chooses the path less traveled, the narrative fork in the road that leads to something genuinely novel. It’s like the developers are wizards, not just coders, deliberately twisting familiar tropes into entirely new, surprising forms. This commitment to the unexpected is what elevates the game beyond mere novelty.
The qualitative leap in *Dispatch* isn't just about shocking moments; it's woven into the very fabric of its presentation. Purchese observes that the writing and presentation lean closer to a modern animated TV show – think *Invincible* meets *BoJack Horseman*, but with its own unique flavour. The dialogue fizzes with naturalistic wit, sparking and crackling in a way that feels utterly fresh. Scenes don’t just happen; they feel meticulously crafted, rehearsed to wring every last gag and dramatic beat out of them. There's a slickness, an undeniable polish, that makes the experience utterly irresistible.
And here's where my inner gamer really perks up, mate. People often patronise experiences like this, dismissing them as glorified interactive TV, or just glorified visual novels. And sure, broadly speaking, that’s the genre we’re in. But Purchese, quite rightly, highlights that *Dispatch* has substance beyond its narrative brilliance. There’s a strategic puzzling layer, a literal dispatching – sending your team of quirky heroes on missions, levelling them up, and figuring out synergistic character combos. That, my friends, is actual gameplay, absorbing for hours, demanding thought and tactical acumen. It’s not just watching a story unfold; it’s *shaping* it, managing it, and feeling the tangible impact of your decisions.
Describing *Dispatch* simply as a “Telltale-like episodic series about superheroes in an office” completely undersells it. It strips away all the verve, the colour, the sheer entertaining audacity of it. The brilliance of *Dispatch* lies in its impeccable craft, its humour, its relentless pursuit of the unexpected, and the subsequent joy it brings to players through genuine surprise. It's a prismatic burst of entertainment, proving what games are truly capable of when developers are brave enough to cast new spells and venture beyond the familiar. If you're looking for a game that genuinely redefines what interactive storytelling can be, and isn't afraid to show you a bit of digital knob and then kiss you when you least expect it, then *Dispatch* sounds like an absolute must-play.
This fascinating deep dive into *Dispatch* comes courtesy of Robert Purchese, Associate Editor at Eurogamer, and was originally published on December 29, 2025, as part of their "Games of 2025" series. It's a prime example of why we need writers who aren't afraid to look beyond the obvious and uncover the true magic in our digital worlds.
Tags: indie games, narrative design, superheroes, game analysis, genre innovation
Original article: Eurogamer