Dispatch

About

Dispatch is a single player casual action adventure game with romance, comedy and erotic themes. It was developed by AdHoc Studio and was released on October 22, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Discover Dispatch for PS5 on the official PlayStation website. This superhero workplace comedy is a narrative adventure with strategy/management sequences and hacking minigames and stars Aaron Paul and Laura Bailey.

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 105,478 reviews

story24.5k positive mentions

grinding172 negative mentions

Dispatch features sharp, witty, and often adult-oriented humor that balances comedy with heartfelt emotional moments.
The game excels in storytelling and character development with well-written, relatable characters and outstanding voice acting resembling a high-quality animated series.
The comic book-inspired graphics and phenomenal soundtrack greatly enhance the immersive atmosphere, making the narrative more engaging.

Gameplay is often criticized as repetitive, simplistic, and lacking meaningful consequences, with some minigames like hacking described as tedious and buggy.
The story is perceived by some as railroaded and predictable, with limited impactful player choices and insufficient character development depth for certain characters.
Replayability is hindered by the inability to skip or fast-forward dialogue and cutscenes, making multiple playthroughs tedious despite branching paths and multiple endings.

story
43,700 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
43%
1%
Dispatch offers a compelling, emotionally rich superhero story with well-developed characters, sharp writing, and excellent voice acting, often likened to an interactive animated series. While the game emphasizes narrative over gameplay, players appreciate the engaging dialogue, humor, and the way choices shape relationships and minor story details, though major plot points remain largely linear with limited impact from decisions. The story’s blend of drama, comedy, and heartfelt moments has drawn strong praise, making it a standout title for fans of story-driven games despite some critiques regarding its length and the degree of choice consequence.
- “Dispatch is a truly standout story game, blending TV and video games into a near masterpiece of a superhero story.”
- “This is an awesome super hero underdog story.”
- “Dispatch is peak superhero storytelling, no need for Invincible or The Boys.”
- “The story becomes very clearly railroaded. There's only two decisions that make an actual impact on the story and gameplay. The only effect you have on the story is which specific joke/threat/judgement you make before 'phenomeman will remember that' and onto the next scene. But ultimately the decisions I made in the story amounted to extremely little, and the gameplay felt insufficient.”
- “Terrible game full of incredibly lazily designed characters and world. For a telltale game it is extremely lacking in choices and extremely different scenarios based on your choices. Also; very short (7 hr, 14 hours for all possibilities viewed) in comparison to walking dead, minecraft story mode, or wolf among us.”
- “If my input is irrelevant it's not a game I'm playing, I'm just along for the ride story-wise and by midway through episode 3 I don't care enough about any of the characters to want to complete the story either.”
gameplay
12,669 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
Players generally agree that Dispatch is a narrative-driven experience with gameplay elements that complement rather than overshadow the story. The core dispatching mechanic, inspired by games like "This Is the Police," is surprisingly engaging and strategic, though some find it repetitive or limited in depth. While hacking minigames and quick-time events add variety, they are often seen as less compelling. Overall, the gameplay is simple but well-integrated, providing meaningful choices and an addictive loop that enhances immersion, though it may not satisfy those seeking complex or action-heavy mechanics.
- “The dispatching gameplay is fun and challenging, and the writing, voice acting, and soundtrack are all top-tier.”
- “The core gameplay loop is satisfying, well-paced, and rewarding, and it never felt like I was grinding just for the sake of completion.”
- “The gameplay loop manages to stay interesting, even though it is rather simple.”
- “The actual dispatch gameplay is pointless, repetitive and boring.”
- “Gameplay is terrible, the dispatching has no consequences if you fail or succeed, decisions you make have very little impact and the story will be pretty much railroaded the entire way through.”
- “The dispatching gameplay itself is either a railroading mess for the sake of the plot or comes with some personally unwelcomed RNG implementation, which hindered me big time early game.”
humor
6,275 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in this game is widely praised for its sharp, witty, and often adult-oriented style that strikes a perfect balance between laugh-out-loud comedy and heartfelt moments. It successfully blends irreverent workplace banter, superhero satire, and genuine emotional depth, making the characters feel real, relatable, and consistently entertaining. While some find the crude or millennial humor hit-or-miss, most agree it enhances the storytelling without overshadowing the drama, contributing to an overall genuinely funny and engaging experience.
- “Dispatch is a funny story, some minigames but it's more like watching a series.”
- “Dispatch has a nice story line and the characters are very memorable such as the funny bat named Sonar which I personally liked.”
- “The writing, the humor, the voice acting are all perfectly done.”
- “This is the police-style dispatch game is boring, pointless, and unfunny. 'I can fix her' and Mary Sue are the main love interests, and the protagonist is how every immature boy imagines himself.”
- “From the moment you meet the fire guy in the bar and call him 'Mr. Wet Pony Tail Guy, who goes around slapping people with his pony tail' as an insult, to a dumpster with the words 'fart barf' spray painted on it (your guy wonders, 'why would anyone put those words together?' The answer is some unfunny writers think they have the best sense of humor in the world), to calling a crew of burglars 'Skittles idiots' because they are wearing color-varied balaclavas, you know this is written by terrible writers.”
- “If you hunger for a season of bootleg Invincible but without any of the charm and competent writing, with quirky girlbosses, painfully unfunny jokes, and perpetually smug and sarcastic characters, feel free to waste your money.”
music
4,071 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in this game is universally praised for its exceptional quality, perfectly complementing the story and enhancing the emotional depth of scenes. The soundtrack combines original compositions and curated licensed tracks, often described as "bangers," synthwave-inspired, and highly memorable, with several songs becoming favorites for players beyond the game itself. Together with stellar voice acting and immersive sound design, the music significantly elevates the overall experience, making it one of the game's standout features.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, every time a new song played during cutscenes I had to pause and find the track (TS is so peak).”
- “The animation, the story, the music, the gameplay are all so beyond anything I could have imagined.”
- “The music, the voice acting, the story, the characters - it's all peak, like I feel like I have a whole new reason to live because of this game!!!”
- “My issues... minor things - the music is mid, in such a way that it undermines the dramatic tension in key fight scenes.”
- “The biggest minus is music, I would like for Adhoc to execute guy responsible for the music playing in the background in the 1st episode during action sequence, does it make you sleepy.”
- “The music artists the game has introduced us to are astounding.”
graphics
4,022 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
36%
The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their stunning, comic book-inspired art style that blends 2D and 3D elements seamlessly, evoking the feel of a high-quality animated series akin to "Invincible" or "The Boys." The animation is smooth and expressive, with vibrant colors and detailed character designs that bring the story and personalities to life, complemented by top-tier voice acting and immersive sound design. While gameplay is considered simple and the episodic release format divides opinions, the visual presentation is widely regarded as a standout feature that greatly enhances the narrative experience.
- “The graphics are phenomenal, it's chasing that American comic inspired style mixed with a little darker edge based shading, similar to Telltale's games back in the day.”
- “Visually, dispatch nails its art style—clean, expressive, and perfectly matched to the tone.”
- “The art style is so fun and the characters are extremely dynamic; the animation and art style is flawless, honestly feels like you're watching a high-end animated show.”
- “The game is cheap and appears to have been created in a week or less. Most choices don't matter, all jokes are about sex, graphics are genuinely bad and you can't even change anything besides v-sync and resolution. It's 2025, not 2012, character designs are just Marvel copies without any originality.”
- “The only drawbacks I would say is that the game looks like it's running on 20 frames per second, I think it's an art style they went for, but that's just me who prefers to play on a higher frame rate.”
- “I reinstalled, I updated graphics drivers, I checked game file integrity, I deleted start files, I spent more time troubleshooting than I did playing the game.”
emotional
2,549 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Dispatch is widely praised for its emotional depth, delivering a heartfelt, sharp, and often surprising narrative that balances humor with genuine, hard-hitting moments. Players report strong emotional investment in well-developed characters, with many saying the game made them laugh, cry, and feel deeply connected to the story and its outcomes. Its blend of engaging writing, stellar voice acting, and immersive storytelling creates a compelling emotional rollercoaster reminiscent of classic narrative-driven games.
- “Dispatch is hands-down the most electrifying, hilarious, and heartbreaking game I’ve played in years. The writing swings effortlessly from absolutely unhinged comedy (I’ve never laughed so hard at a fart-related superpower in my life) to moments so raw and emotional I had to pause just to breathe.”
- “Every character feels human in a way that few games manage, and that emotional authenticity carries the entire experience. The story delivers an incredibly immersive experience with its gripping atmosphere, detailed storytelling, and intense emotional depth.”
- “Dispatch is an incredibly heartwarming and fun story, a unique spin on a world of superpowers. The ensemble cast of the Z-team and additional voice work provide emotional natural brilliance to the game’s story, blending humor and heartfelt moments with amazing animation and voice acting.”
- “Boring story.”
- “Amazing character design, great character interactions... terribly predictable and boring story.”
- “However, something tells me that isn't the case and you want to be taken somewhat seriously with your boring story.”
replayability
1,180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
Replayability in this game is generally seen as moderate to high, driven largely by meaningful choices, multiple endings, different romance paths, and variations in team composition that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, many reviewers note that the relatively short overall length (around 7-10 hours) and the inability to skip or fast-forward cutscenes and dialogues significantly hinder the replay experience. While some find the dispatching minigames fun and potentially replayable, the linearity of the main narrative and limited branching diminish long-term replay value for others.
- “The replayability is insane such as different romance paths, different endings for characters and fate due to the moral choices you make. It's probably the strongest urge I've ever had to replay a game and I probably will after this review.”
- “There are many different choices leading to many different branches and a few different endings, so there's some replayability.”
- “Amazing storytelling and has a great amount of replayability in it.”
- “It’s a cool game, but it’s very short, and replayability is basically nonexistent.”
- “With only about 6 to 8 hours of gameplay and very limited replay value, it feels more in line with a TV series-style price point, roughly around $3 per hour of entertainment.”
- “I love the game, but the only reason I keep a negative review is because the game lacks any way of speeding up text or skipping cutscenes; it really kills the replayability of the game.”
character development
969 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The game excels in character development, with richly written, emotionally engaging arcs supported by outstanding voice acting and distinctive, expressive character designs. While some minor characters receive less depth, key figures, especially main and romantic leads, showcase meaningful growth that significantly impacts the narrative and player experience. Overall, the character development is widely praised as a core strength, elevating the storytelling to a level comparable with top TV drama series and making player choices feel impactful and personal.
- “Dispatch is truly one of the biggest refreshments that has come to the gaming world in the last couple of years, and I am still shocked at how truly good it was in its writing and character development in a current world where all the medias from TV shows, movies, etc. are having a never-seen crisis in those terms. This game must get multiple sequels because the potential is just too big to have this made as a one and done; it definitely has a huge franchise in itself if they continue to make the follow-ups with the same dose of love as this one.”
- “The character development is phenomenal; you really get to see growth and depth as the story unfolds.”
- “Dispatch nails storytelling, player choice, and character development in a way that very few games do.”
- “Despite good character interactions for the most part, a lot of the character development feels rushed; characters initially hostile to the main character turn around based on a single speech with little to no direct interaction with members of the Phoenix program (except for Invisigal). We are left to assume that this character development happened off-screen during the dispatches.”
- “The game needed more story and character development to carry the arcs to completion.”
- “The character design/development is 2/10 - all characters are incredibly shallow - each backstory comes down to a single simple sentence.”
optimization
929 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
5%
The game is exceptionally well-optimized, running smoothly even on low-end PCs and devices like the Steam Deck, delivering a stable 60fps experience with minimal technical issues. Occasional minor stuttering or visual glitches have been reported but do not significantly hinder gameplay or immersion. Overall, the optimization complements its high-quality voice performances and animation, making for a polished and accessible narrative-driven experience.
- “Gotta be optimized to hell too seeing as how it ran with no lag or anything on my potato of a computer.”
- “Performance-wise, it ran flawlessly on my Steam Deck, holding a steady 64 fps the entire time, which made the experience even more immersive and enjoyable.”
- “The game is so well optimized and doesn't require many resources to run, which is also very rare.”
- “Alas, the game has optimization problems.”
- “Even with the extra effects turned off, my game runs slowly during the hacking and cutscenes and I'm always getting caught by the antiviruses.”
- “The hacking minigame is really boring, it is really simple and requires very little of you besides remembering a Konami code pattern, and also has performance issues.”
atmosphere
403 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
49%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive, tense, and emotionally gripping qualities, elevated by a phenomenal soundtrack, detailed art style, and superb voice acting. It effectively blends humor with darker, realistic themes, creating a distinctive "superhero noir" vibe that keeps players engaged from start to finish. While some note minor shortcomings in gameplay variety and branching choices, the game's storytelling, pacing, and overall mood consistently deliver a powerful, cinematic experience.
- “Dispatch is an absolutely exceptional game that delivers an immersive, atmospheric, and incredibly engaging experience from start to finish, pulling you into a rich narrative filled with smart puzzles, clever details, and a constant sense of tension that keeps you fully absorbed in its world; its storytelling is thoughtful and rewarding, its gameplay strikes the perfect balance between challenge and satisfaction, and every moment feels crafted with intention—making Dispatch not just a great game, but a genuinely unforgettable one that stands out as one of the most captivating and enjoyable experiences you can play.”
- “From the very first moments, it delivers a flawless blend of artistry, atmosphere, and storytelling that few games ever achieve.”
- “The attention to detail—whether in character designs, environments, or even UI elements—creates an immersive atmosphere that lingers long after you’ve put the controller down.”
- “For a game that pushes a realistic atmosphere, it feels like they pulled their punches on the adult themes.”
- “And yes I do know about the censorship that is in the game, but it is just a black box, it ruins the entire atmosphere.”
- “I get that they were going for a specific, maybe more lighthearted atmosphere, but man, they needed to turn it down a notch.”
grinding
239 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
25%
72%
Grinding in this game is often described as tedious, particularly the hacking mini-games and dispatch gameplay, which can feel repetitive and disrupt story flow. The inability to skip or fast-forward previously seen cutscenes makes replays more frustrating, reducing replayability despite an engaging core story and management mechanics. While initial playthroughs are generally enjoyable, subsequent runs are hindered by these grind-heavy and unskippable elements.
- “No grinding, story keeps you engaged and is rewarding.”
- “Not grindy at all and has multiple paths you can take to influence the gameplay.”
- “Fantastic story, character development choices matter — a game with no grinding, just everything it needs and nothing it doesn't.”
- “The dispatch gameplay element is entertaining but I found the VR section to be tedious and unfun.”
- “The core gameplay loop is satisfying, well-paced, and rewarding, and it never felt like I was grinding just for the sake of completion.”
- “However, the lack of a dialogue-skip feature can make revisiting specific endings tedious, especially when replaying long conversations just to reach late-game divergence points.”
stability
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
4%
71%
The game generally runs smoothly on a wide range of devices, including low-spec machines and the Steam Deck, with few crashes, freezes, or major bugs. However, the hacking mini-game and later episodes exhibit noticeable bugs, glitches, and occasional softlocks that can impact gameplay, though many issues have been addressed through patches. Overall, despite some frustrating bugs, the experience remains polished and enjoyable for most players.
- “No bugs, no glitches, not a single stutter (besides the animation style) or crash.”
- “I had absolutely no glitches, hitches, freezes, getting stuck, obvious exploitables, or interactive problems.”
- “Completely bug free experience.”
- “I reinstalled, updated graphics drivers, checked game file integrity, deleted start files; spent more time troubleshooting than playing the game.”
- “Only other thing of note is that the hacking sections seem to be a bit buggy; I had to force close the game twice midway through a shift losing all my unsaved progress.”
- “About midway through the 6th episode, the game began to fall apart: frequent crashes, animation freezes or black screens; I was unable to finish and too late for a refund.”
monetization
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
39%
56%
The game is widely praised for its absence of microtransactions and pay-to-win schemes, offering a full narrative experience without additional purchases, which stands out positively in an industry often dominated by monetization tactics. However, some players express frustration over in-game advertising, episodic release format not being clearly communicated, and marketing decisions that feel misleading or overly commercialized. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as a refreshing, consumer-friendly model, despite occasional criticism of its advertising strategies.
- “The dispatch comes as a breath of fresh air in a world polluted with microtransactions, corporate greed and pay to win schemes: the premise is simple, click, watch and react to a well written story as it unfolds before your eyes.”
- “Additionally, compared to games released now, even single player games, Dispatch has zero extra microtransactions, season passes or any of that BS; it's a game you buy, play, and have it all.”
- “In an era where single-player, one-time purchase games (no microtransactions or battlepasses) have become the industry standard, Dispatch is a breath of fresh air into a genre of game that had fallen to the wayside in recent years.”
- “Nick Herman deserves a special shout-out for actively deceiving and stringing along queer audiences for the sake of profit margins and free advertising.”
- “After the first 3 episodes (and more than 2 hours of playtime) the main menu has now changed from how it originally looked and is advertising merchandise to me in the main menu of a full priced product.”
- “[Edit to add: creating an episodic release format is not some artistic or compassionate move, it's not an aesthetic or creative choice. It opens the gap for advertising, subscriptions, and all the other profit driven corporate nonsense no fan ever has wanted. This normalizes it. To promote this format is to uphold the money grubbing leech mentality everyone hates with a passion, save for the corporate overlords. Look at you modeling after them...cooooool.]”