Dispatcher
- November 11, 2015
- CivilSavages
Dispatcher is a horror role-playing game with erotic elements, available for single-player and multi-player on PC. The game features phenomenal graphics, plenty of humor, and a stellar atmosphere. In Dispatcher, you must cooperate with other survivors, solve puzzles, and navigate stealthily through locations, as anyone can turn into an enemy at any moment. Be prepared to make sacrifices for survival.
Reviews
- The game has great graphics and a spooky atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- It can be fun to play with friends, providing a good source of jump scares and laughter.
- The character creation system adds a unique touch, allowing players to customize their experience.
- The game lacks a clear tutorial or objectives, leaving players confused about what to do.
- There are numerous bugs and optimization issues, making the gameplay frustrating and unpolished.
- The AI is poorly designed, making it difficult to evade monsters, which can lead to a repetitive and annoying experience.
- gameplay40 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many users criticizing the lack of depth, poor mechanics, and frustrating stealth elements. Players noted that the game feels more like a chase simulator with minimal interaction, and compared it unfavorably to more polished titles like "Alien: Isolation." While some appreciated the visuals and sound design, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is lacking and needs significant improvement.
“Fun gameplay.”
“Its stealth mechanic is the very core of the game as you can't fight any of the monsters.”
“Sound design is top notch, there is a unique and fun character creation mechanic that RPG fans will feel right at home with, there’s multiplayer, and the Unreal Engine looks better than ever.”
“There is no sneak mechanics whatsoever; once single player starts, it is just a random timer on how long it takes the creature to get from its spawn point to you.”
“While the devs did their best and got certain things right like the atmosphere, monster designs, and particularly nice-looking (but stiff) female models, the actual gameplay is more an exercise in frustration.”
“It had potential, but now that it's a 'released game', there are no excuses for the lack of depth and direction in the gameplay, besides collect stuff, hide... run... and die.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising their quality and atmospheric design, often comparing them favorably to titles like "Alien: Isolation" and "Outlast." However, some users note issues such as blurriness, optimization problems, and a lack of gameplay depth, suggesting that while the visuals are impressive, they do not compensate for other shortcomings in the game.
“Absolutely love this game, super creepy sounds and the visuals are amazing, loving the price tag on sale too.”
“The graphics are fantastic, the atmosphere is great, the sound is spooky, and the monsters are sufficiently gnarly.”
“Dispatcher borrows heavily from games like Alien: Isolation and Outlast, but its graphics are top-notch due to the use of the Unreal 4 engine, when you can see them of course.”
“The graphics looked ok at first, but when you look closer, they are shit!”
“Graphics are too blurry for my taste even with the lowest post-processing and anti-aliasing settings.”
“Oh yeah and the graphics.. I don't know why other reviewers keep praising them as one of the good things about this game.”
- story32 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely criticized for being virtually non-existent, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of narrative context, objectives, and character development. While some notes attempt to provide background, they fall short of creating an engaging storyline, leaving players feeling lost and unmotivated. Overall, the game is seen as a missed opportunity, with many hoping for future updates to introduce a more immersive and coherent plot.
“The game looks nice and there are some notes trying to provide some explanation of the background story.”
“There are meds, batteries, credits (come on, it's space....you knew there'd be credits involved), fuses and notes that help flesh out the story.”
“If they manage to add a plot to all of this, well, we may just have a winner on our hands...”
“No campaign or story gameplay, at all.”
“The reason I don't like this game is it just throws you in with no intro, no story, no reason for being there, nothing!”
“As of now, the game has no real story and no real direct objective.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, enhanced by impressive graphics and sound design. Reviewers highlight the tension created by the environment and monster encounters, noting that while the gameplay may falter, the overall ambiance effectively captures the essence of survival horror. Despite some criticisms, many agree that the game's atmospheric elements hold significant potential for an engaging experience.
“Tbh this game has a lot of potential, with the interactive environment and the spooky atmosphere, you can have loads of fun.”
“The atmosphere is where this game nails it pretty nicely, with a scary monster walking around looking for you, as well as a floating vortex, both waiting to kill you, all while you are looking for a way out.”
“The graphics are fantastic, the atmosphere is great, the sound is spooky, and the monsters are sufficiently gnarly.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and dark comedy, with players finding amusement in the AI's lack of response during the "funny hunt" mode and the bizarre character classes, such as a pornstar. While the game offers moments of laughter, particularly in its multiplayer co-op and horror elements, many players feel that its overall execution is lacking, leading to a fleeting enjoyment that may not justify its price. Overall, it provides a brief, entertaining experience that can elicit laughter, especially for those who appreciate horror-themed humor.
“In funny hunt mode, where you play as the monster, the AI players you go after do not even bother to run from you and will pretty much walk from point A to B if you let them.”
“You then have to create a person and choose a 'class' and then 'perks', one being pornstar... funny and has decent stats.”
“Just buy it, you'll enjoy it... you might not be able to play it for longer than an hour (with the lights on), but if you like horror, this game will have you laughing out of fear.”
- stability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players note that the game runs well and has appealing visuals, the overwhelming sentiment is that it feels unpolished and lacks content, making it more akin to a tech demo than a fully realized game.
“Too many bugs and glitches.”
“This feels less like a game and more like a tech demo as it can be very buggy, and there is very little to do.”
“The game is buggy, unoptimized, and made without love.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with many users reporting bugs and poor performance despite its appealing graphics and visual style. While some aspects of in-game performance are satisfactory, the overall experience is marred by a lack of polish and optimization.
“Outside of that, at least the in-game performance was good, and the game looks pretty good.”
“But it is poorly optimized, like really bad.”
“The game is buggy, unoptimized, and made without love.”
“The graphics (lighting, modeling, style) look great, but the game is poorly optimized.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers decent replay value, rated around 7, largely depending on the players' willingness to engage with it repeatedly.
“The game has decent replay value.”
“Replay value: 7. This is really up to the player to keep it going.”
“Decent replay value.”
“Replay value: 7. This is really up to the player or players to keep it going.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly effective, with users noting that it enhances the atmosphere by signaling key moments, such as the approach of threats, and is described as being perfectly suited to the gameplay experience.
“You will know it’s coming by its loud footsteps and you will know it sees you when the music changes and it roars.”
“Music is spot on.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has been criticized for its poor design, leading to a lack of depth and engagement with the characters.
“The character development is incredibly shallow and lacks depth.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, leading users to advise against purchasing it and to be wary of the publisher's future titles.
“Overall, if I could, I would not purchase this game and would not suggest buying games from this publisher, as it appears their game is nothing but a cash grab.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, making it clear that the developers are more interested in profits than player experience.”
“I was disappointed to find that essential features are locked behind paywalls, which makes the game feel unfair and frustrating.”