You Had Me at 'Moist': Why Dispatch is the Superhero Mid-Life Crisis We All Deserve
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Jeff dives into Dispatch, a new tactical superhero comedy from ex-Telltale devs that swaps world-saving heroics for the chaotic reality of managing a squad of superpowered f-ups.
I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell to fix a leaky faucet and end up summoning a minor water demon who’s surprisingly good at accounting? That’s the vibe I’m getting from Dispatch. It’s a game that’s trying to juggle narrative weight, tactical management, and a sense of humor that’s about as refined as a goblin in a tuxedo.
I was reading a fascinating breakdown by Edwin Evans-Thirlwell over at Rock Paper Shotgun, and it got me thinking about the state of interactive storytelling. We’ve all been nursing a bit of a Telltale-shaped hole in our hearts for a while, haven't we? Sure, the 'X will remember that' meme became a bit of a joke, but there was a certain magic to those timed dialogue choices. Well, some of the wizards behind The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us have resurfaced under the banner of AdHoc Games, and they’ve brought back that movie-night energy with a game called Dispatch.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. 'Jeff, mate, another superhero game? Really? My digital shelf is already groaning under the weight of capes and spandex.' And look, I’m with you. I’m as skeptical as a cat in a bathtub when it comes to the 'jaded superhero' trope. We’ve seen The Boys, we’ve seen Invincible, and we’ve seen the MCU slowly turn into a corporate homework assignment. But Dispatch seems to be doing something a bit different. It’s more laidback, more banter-driven, and—dare I say it—actually tactical.
You play as Robert Robertson, formerly known as Mecha Man. As far as superhero names go, it’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it? Robert’s life takes a turn for the 'bloody hell' when his attempt at revenge against his father’s killer goes south, leaving him in a coma and his expensive mecha suit in pieces. He wakes up to find himself facing the scariest villain of all: retirement in a normal life without any health insurance.
Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, he’s recruited by Blonde Blazer—a sort of relentlessly cheerful Superwoman who runs the Superhero Dispatch Network. Instead of being the guy in the suit, Robert becomes the guy on the radio. He’s the babysitter for a squad of heroes who are, to put it politely, absolute f-ups. We’re talking reformed villains, white-collar criminals, and general social disasters.
What’s genuinely interesting here is the blend of genres. It’s not just a visual novel where you click through dialogue. There’s a light tactical management subgame where you actually have to send your troupe of weirdos to answer emergency calls on a city map. You’ve got to match their skillsets to the crisis, manage their XP, and deal with the fallout when they inevitably screw up. It’s like being a guild master in an MMO, but instead of brave warriors, you’re managing a group of 'beautiful perverts' (to borrow a phrase from Evans-Thirlwell) who would rather argue about vegan meat alternatives than save the day.
The roster is where the game’s irreverence really shines. You’ve got Sonar, a literal 'Batman' who’s more of a corporate shark than a dark knight. There’s Invisigal, who uses her powers mostly for sarcasm and lechery. And then there’s Malevola, a demon atheist. I reckon that’s a conversation I’d pay to listen to at a tavern. The writing is sharp, reminiscent of Archer or even those early, punchy days of the MCU before the soul-crushing weight of the 'Multiverse' took over.
There’s even a hacking minigame tossed in for good measure—a little labyrinth of QTEs to keep your fingers twitching. It sounds like a lot of disparate elements fighting for space, but according to the early reports, it gels remarkably well. It’s like two different games sharing the same screen and somehow not punching each other in the face.
Now, let's put on my 'cautiously skeptical wizard' hat for a moment. Is there a catch? There’s always a catch. The game seems to cater quite heavily to the 'scrawny yet capable gamer nerd' fantasy. Robert has a bit of that Ready Player One energy that can feel a bit pandering if you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet. And while the banter is top-tier, I do wonder if the story will actually go anywhere or if it’s just a vehicle for off-color jokes and quirky character interactions. It’s that 'tipsy podcast' vibe—fun for an hour, but do you want to live there for twenty?
From a technical standpoint, the animation is reportedly swish—far beyond what we usually expect from these kinds of narrative adventures. The voice acting is a mix of Hollywood talent and streamers, which usually makes me wince, but here it apparently works, giving the dialogue an unscripted, natural feel.
In the grand scheme of things, Dispatch feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre that’s been taking itself far too seriously. It acknowledges the absurdity of the superhero mythos while actually giving players something to *do* between the jokes. It’s about the 'why' of the job—the administrative nightmare of being a hero—rather than just the 'what' of the punch-ups.
Whether you’re a fan of the old Telltale formula or you’re just looking for a superhero story that doesn’t involve saving the entire universe for the fourteenth time this week, Dispatch seems like it’s worth a look. Just don't expect the heroes to be particularly heroic. They’re mostly just trying to get through the day without accidentally setting a donut shop on fire.
Fair dinkum, it’s refreshing to see developers take a risk on a weird genre mashup. If it manages to maintain this level of wit and tactical engagement through its full run, we might just have a sleeper hit on our hands. Or at the very least, a very funny way to spend a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Stick with me on this one; I reckon we’ll be hearing a lot more about this crew of caped liabilities soon.
Tags: Telltale Games, Indie Gaming, Superhero Satire, Tactical RPG, Narrative Adventure
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun