Sparky Reviews Dispatch

Copyright - AdHoc Studio, Inc. and Critical Role Productions. This picture is from the official AdHoc Studio Facebook page.

The Rise of Indie Games in the Video Game Industry

Within the video game industry, there are various games that come out that truly make an impact.  Games like The Last of Us, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Halo are just a few examples of games that have changed the gaming industry. 

Games can come in all shapes, sizes, and are made by different companies.  Within the last few years, there has been a huge surge in indie game developers.  From first games to having several games under their belt, indie developers have been coming in waves. 

In October of this year, a new game came out that would be a staple to many gamers.  Originally made by Adhoc Studio with the help of the brilliant Critical Role Productions, Dispatch is a new episodic game filled with drama, hilarious dialogue, and so much more. 

When this game first came out, not much was known about it.  Over time however, Dispatch slowly started gaining a very dedicated following. So much to the point that this game was nominated twice during The Game Awards even though it had only been out for a month.   Why did this indie game create such a defined following? Let’s find out together.

In this episode of Sparky Reviews, we’re going to be reviewing the indie game Dispatch to see how this game defined odds and struck into the hearts of its players. 

The Gameplay is So Original and Fun

One of the things that makes Dispatch so unique is the gameplay.  Essentially, the player plays as a dispatcher named Robert who must work with a group of ex villains named The Z-Team.   Dispatch mixes strategy with quick time and decision events.  Firstly, let’s look at the strategy aspect.

Dispatch’s main gameplay is dispatching The Z-Team to various calls that come within the Los Angeles area.  Each mission has a basics of what the client is looking for.  Then, as the dispatcher, you are supposed to send the correct hero for the job.  When you look at each hero’s chart, there will be a few icons.  The fist is combat, the shield with a heart is vigor, the running man is mobility, the speech bubble is charisma, and the brain is intellect. 

One hero might be good in one area but bad in another.  So, as the dispatcher, it’s your job to send the correct hero or heroes on a particular mission.  There are consequences and perks depending on how you do each mission.  So, it’s important to ensure that your heroes are sent on the correct missions. 

After completing a day’s work, the player sees Robert finishing his day and continues with the story that is progressing.  Rest assured that the story will be discussed in the next section.  Then Robert will have various decisions and quick time events to make. 

I know that there are some gamers who are not thrilled about the idea of quick time events.  As many gamers see, quick time events aren’t truly gameplay as you’re just selecting a button.  However, quick time events are just as important as physical gameplay.  This type of gameplay encourages the player to focus on the story and its characters.  Which is exactly what Dispatch does. 

Which is why I believe that this game has impacted so many players recently.  The gamer’s choices will affect the story and the outcome.  Plus, with so many different outcomes, gamers can come together and see what others have chosen.  One of the fun aspects of this game is at the end of each chapter, Dispatch shows what others have chosen.  So, this game brings a sense of choices and community to show how others made their choices.

Which leaves an even more intriguing urge to replay the game for the story.   

Dispatch is a Fun Story with a Colorful Cast of Characters

This game is incredibly well fleshed out in terms of story.  The player aka Robert is a superhero who is trying to get his suit fixed.  In the meantime, he works at Superhero Dispatch Network as a leader of a rehabilitation group of former supervillains called The Z-Team. 

So, just from this premise alone, it looks like an incredibly fun game.  The superhero genre has been stretched incredibly thin, especially with Disney obtaining the rights to the Marvel films.  Granted, the premise does sound incredibly similar to Suicide Squad from DC.  Rest assured though, Dispatch is a breath of fresh air of storytelling within the superhero community. 

Dispatch is an incredible character driven story.  Rest assured, I will be discussing the characters in the next section because the characters need to be talked about. 

Dispatch does follow a narrative story line of working towards a goal.  However, the way the story goes, the players are never aware of what is coming next.  Personally, I think this is why this game has been doing as well as it has.  The story of Dispatch is so unique and with the ability to pick how the story goes. 

This type of storytelling encourages multiple playthroughs in addition to the player to learn so much more about the characters within the story.  Plus, the characters make the story much more enjoyable. 

The Characters of Dispatch Truly Make This Game Shine

While the story is what pulls a lot of people to Dispatch, the characters are the true filling of this game.  Each one of them has their own strengths and weaknesses.  Dispatch offers romance options if you so desire.  Unfortunately, no LGBTQ+ dating options (for now if Adhoc decides to do a Robert and Flambae DLC romance).  However, both romance options do fit incredibly well within the story of the game. 

The true meat of the characters really grows within The Z-Team.  All of the members of The Z-Team are former villains that are trying to be heroes.  At this point, the player knows that these characters are trying to be redeemed and are currently under the term of “anti-hero”. 

The fun thing about Robert is the fact that he becomes the role of mentor for The Z-Team to help them change into heroes.  Then add in the element of player selection, that will also affect how characters interact with Robert.  Also, if you make a decision that is not favored by The Z-Team, morale will be lowered.  If morale is lowered, then The Z-Team will do worse on missions.  So, it’s important to keep an eye on how you interact with The Z-Team to ensure your work isn’t affected.  Even if it does get affected, Robert will have to work with what he has.

Dialogue in Dispatch is also a key element.  Within the work missions, The Z-Team will communicate with each other via voice channels.  So, players will receive even more dialogue and key element character development when sending heroes on missions.  Dispatch is truly an enjoyable game that leaves a lot for players to discover.

Dispatch Brings a Wonderful Story with Incredibly Strong Characters and Engaging Gameplay

Dispatch is a wonderful game for everyone to try out. With a huge roster of actors to hilarious dialogue, to the fantastic story, and even to the unique gameplay. Dispatch is a game that everyone should check out.

Thank you so much for reading this review of Dispatch. Currently, Dispatch is on PlayStation 5, Steam, and will soon be coming out onto both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2026. Sorry X-Box community.

If you'd like to learn more about AdHoc Studios and Critical Role Productions, I will put hyperlinks for you check out those two amazing companies.

If you love this review, make sure to share in social media and also, tell me how you liked Dispatch. Have you played it? How many playthroughs have you done? Let's talk about it. Thank you so much for reading this review and see you all next time on Sparky Reviews.