It turns out the appetite for episodic adventures hasn’t gone away – the format just needed sexy superheroes, a quicker release cadence, and management sim mechanics.
Dispatch – developed by the ex-Telltale alumni at AdHoc Studio – made a late charge for Game of the Year, premiering on 22nd October and not concluding until 12th November. But it absolutely deserves its placement, owing to its eye-catching Western anime-esque art style, confident voice acting, and dramatic decisions-based gameplay.
At the heart of this superb eight-episode outing is protagonist Robert, the everyman pilot of Mecha Man, voiced by Aaron Paul. After events in the opening lead him to overseeing a ragtag group of ex-villains at superhero services agency SDN, you’re thrust into an adventure that constantly keeps you on your toes.
For the most part, you’ll be kicking back and watching excellently animated cut-scenes, picking dialogue decisions which will influence the outcome of the story.
But you’ll also need to partake in strategic sim-like sequences, where you’ll need to consider requests popping up all around the city, and determine which of your roster of retired villains would deal with the situation best.
The game constantly prods and pulls at you, changing the rules just as you get comfortable and applying just enough pressure to keep this aspect of the game feeling fresh. While the story will keep moving regardless of how you perform, walking away from a particularly productive shift feels great.
And while this is all going on, you’ll fall in love with its motley cast of characters, each of which has more depth than you may initially expect. All of the designs and performances are impeccable, and you’ll want more once you eventually wrap up the story.
Which is to say, Dispatch is one of the best surprises of 2025. It effortlessly takes that Telltale format, expands on it, and repackages it with awe-inspiring presentation.
If you have any love for comic books, superhero movies, or even good ol’ narrative adventures, then you owe it to yourself to give this a go.