Telltale’s latest is a superhero triumph

You’ve probably heard the term “superhero fatigue” everywhere, people are tired of media showing supernatural beings saving the day. Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t quite reached the same heights as it did in the “Endgame” era, but I would argue that people are tired of superhero movies purely because they fail to give us meaningful stakes.

Enter “Dispatch,” the first game from studio AdHoc, created by former developers from Telltale, Ubisoft and Night School Studio. These studios were known for their stellar narrative games; they used their talents to create one of the best narrative games of 2025. Telltale’s typical formula started to become stale. After the success of “The Walking Dead,” Telltale milked the episodic, story-driven adventure structure it relied on dry, and subsequent adaptations sold fewer and fewer. But “Dispatch” proves that superhero fatigue can be cured, but also that there’s still plenty of room for episodic games when done well.

“Dispatch” follows a hero named Mecha Man (voiced by Aaron Paul), who falls from grace when he is lured into a trap by a menacing villain named Shroud. When Mecha Man’s suit and central power core, the Astral Pulse, are destroyed following the ambush, he has no choice but to revert to his civilian nickname, Robert Robertson. He also holds a position as a call center manager at SDN, an organization that provides superhero services and protection to its customers. The pacing of “Dispatch” is excellent, as all of this foundation is established in the first episode, and nothing feels rushed.

Robert manages the Z-Team, a group of former supervillains aiming for redemption, and must find a way to bring them together. The best way to describe “Dispatch” is a cross between “Suicide Squad” and “The Boys.” You have the dysfunctional anti-hero angle of the former with the capitalist side of the latter. It’s also wonderfully animated with a colorful art style that looks a lot like “Invincible.” But what makes “Dispatch” so compelling is the depth of its characters, namely Z-Team, and the realistic voice performances.

Alongside Paul, other notable names include Laura Bailey as Invisigal, who can (of course) turn invisible, and the prolific Matthew Mercer, who delivers a menacing performance as Shroud.

I also love the charm of the Z-Team characters and the little quirks that come with their powers. Invisigal can only do this by holding her breath, but she also has asthma, so she carries an inhaler. Waterboy starts out as a janitor and is socially anxious and awkward, causing him to sweat constantly. Blond Blazer is reminiscent of the all-powerful Captain Marvel, and she’s seemingly perfect on the outside, but as later episodes show, you don’t know everyone’s story.

“Dispatch” explores themes of romance and office politics in a way that feels grounded and believable, despite its overpowered cast. You’ll be forced to make tough decisions, like firing a Z-Team member early on. I was amazed that such an important decision was forced upon me so quickly, and that it had huge consequences for the story and gameplay afterwards. I really felt the weight of my choices.

The gameplay of “Dispatch” is a management simulator, in which you have the members of the Z-Team at the bottom of the screen and Robert will distribute them (there he is) to different locations in Los Angeles to handle various tasks. Each hero has their own stats, and as reviews of the map appear, you’ll receive a description of the job, as well as hints about which hero is best for that job. For example, if he mentions lifting heavy cargo to save civilians, someone with great combat strength, like The Thing-like Golem or the small but mighty Punch Up, would be best suited.

Each job results in a pass or fail based on a percentage system. The better you match the hero with the job, the higher your chances. Although it was sometimes frustrating to see that I failed at a task, even though I had an 80% chance of succeeding. In later dispatches, I often sent two heroes at a time to secure passage, even if it meant fewer resources to complete another task on the other side of town.

Each member of the Z-Team can even gain special abilities that could have a huge impact on the outcome of a job. Prism, for example, can duplicate itself with a doppelganger with half its stats if placed in the slot for two-man work. Coupe can retry a job for a second chance if it fails, which could potentially allow Robert to win. These additional skills added a layer of depth to the gameplay, making the management simulation much more immersive and fun. It felt like the Z-Team was growing both emotionally through the story and through the gameplay.

Another aspect of gameplay is a hacking mini-game that Robert can play. Sometimes he will have to navigate a maze with a limited time to reach the end of an objective. Along the way, he’ll have to avoid virus bots, make directional inputs, and transfer energy. It’s a fun minigame, but for some strange reason performance seems to lag here due to delayed input issues. My PC runs flawlessly when playing more intensive games like “Borderlands 4” or “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers,” so it’s an anomaly compared to the smoothness of the rest of “Dispatch.”

Each episode of Dispatch is about an hour long and features satisfying choices and consequences. It has a lot of replay value, as your decisions can have a huge impact on how Robert’s relationships form and how the first season ends. However, you really need a button to skip the cutscene.

“Dispatch” is an exciting game throughout its eight episodes. Its cast of characters is fun and full of emotional depth, making you want to know more and immediately move on to the next episode. It’s a bit like watching a Netflix series, but it also cleverly integrates its gameplay mechanics into the narrative. I loved watching Robert fall and eventually get back up through the mundane aspects of office life. It felt like a true journey from zero to hero. Although there are some minor issues, “Dispatch” not only saves the day, but may also save Telltale’s entire legacy.