“Dispatch” is a gaming experience unlike anything else released this year, and everyone, even those who don’t play video games, should try it out.
Releasing on Oct. 22, this episodic adventure immediately hooked me in with its strong narrative, which kept players itching for new episodes each week. While the story and characters were the aspects that drew many in, the gameplay is also great, although it’s relatively simple and may not appeal to everyone.
In the game, you follow Robert Robertson, voiced by Aaron Paul. In a world where most heroes have powers, he is one of the few heroes who doesn’t. After a devastating event renders his mecha suit inoperable, he is given the opportunity to help people again by becoming a superhero dispatcher.
This is where most of the interactive gameplay takes place. You take calls and assign the best heroes for the specific job. It’s satisfying to see team members grow stronger every time you send them out. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more of this type of gameplay.
Outside of the job, the core gameplay is dialogue choices, and as the player, you get to decide where the story will go next. Every choice matters, and you will need to play several times to get all the outcomes.
This is where “Dispatch” really shines; while you can watch people play on sites like YouTube, players can tailor their experience based on their preferences.
It’s evident to anyone who got to experience “Dispatch” that there was real passion put into this game. YouTubers voice a few of the characters; in the case of Sonar, Charlie White or MoistCr1TiKaL, who has made multiple videos and streamed gameplay of his own experiences in the game, uploaded a video where he conversed with Paul, where they both praised the game and went into length on how much they loved working on it.
And it’s all noticeable; the voice acting, visuals, and everything about the game scream that “Dispatch” was meant to prioritize player enjoyment.
At times, it feels more like an animated series rather than something you follow every week, rather than a video game that you are in control of and honestly, it’s sad that the game is over already. It takes about nine hours of gameplay and I want more.
The game is available on PlayStation and Steam on PC starting at $30, and I recommend giving it a try.