Dispatch

I finished it in one sitting. I guess that explains how addictive and fun the game is.

It's been a long time since I played something that actually feels like a game rather than a checklist of chores. Dispatch delivers exactly that. From start to finish, it's fun, cinematic and engaging. The mechanics are simple yet interesting. The characters stand out the most! Distinct & lively. They actually feel like they belong in the world. Even the smaller interactions add to the overall charm. Highly recommended. It's absolutely worth the price, but more importantly, it's worth your time! PS: Ever wondered what it feels like to get roasted in a group chat instead of just sharing reels? This is your sim.

Alright. [i]Dispatch[/i] is done and dusted. As can be expected from veterans of Telltale Games, Night School, and even Ubi; this is a narrative forward game that does in fact take that classic Telltale style game design, modernize it with better interactive moments and divergent storytelling. They then added some management and dare I say puzzle elements to the game to break up the narrative moments and increase both the sense of proper pacing and even a bit of tension. It's actually a masterful game in my opinion, and I think this has entered the realm of my own personal top ten all time gaming experiences. I enjoyed it THAT much. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3718875663 Obviously, in a narrative driven game, you need both excellent writing and excellent voice acting at the very least. This has both. It also is a visual delight. Giving it the holy trio for meeting and exceeding expectations. I'll just say straight away: Aaron Paul owned this one. He is definitely the driving force in everything this game offers, which makes sense given he voices the protagonist you will be playing as. But actually, he really exceeded expectations. I had no idea he was this good at voice acting. Let that not minimize the rest of the cast. Everybody was amazing, really bought into their characters, and made them both believable and approachable. This was assisted by the stellar writing, which perfectly balanced a number of comedic approaches with superhero action and some serious topics mixed in. The comedy was the star of course, and the dialogue had me chuckling and outright laughing on repeat. There are times in life when you need something unserious but witty, to really allow you to invest yourself in something that removes you from the real world, if but for a few hours. This game can easily be that for you. The graphics are exactly what a modern era comic style superhero epic should look like. Vibrant, full of life, filled with evocative moments that jump off the screen. Additionally, they are appropriate to the story and the dialogue, and they riff off each other immaculately. You'll definitely be using the screenshot function early and often while playing this. It's a comic book brought to life in video game fashion with continuity and flow rarely seen. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3718875779 The gameplay is of course a mix of QTE and management sequences. However, you do have the option to disable QTEs, allowing you to just enjoy those sequences unfettered, should that be your preference. The management sequences are exactly as the game's name implies. You are the dispatch officer for a superhero corporation. And the mini game offered for the dispatch sequences works really well. You will be balancing which superheroes to dispatch against their availability, specialties, and their ability to work together. Your team will build synergies giving them even more options when dispatched. Additionally, there is an experience point/RPG system allowing you to develop your team to give you the best options possible. And. There are also moments where you, the dispatcher, will need to actively intervene on missions, offering advice, hacking into computer systems (which is in and of itself another minigame Dispatch utilizes to great effect), and generally being the leader of a team of superheroes. Which, if you don't know, your specific team of superheroes were all previously supervillains, adding some spiciness to the equation. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3718157490 This game really does a lot with what is essentially a pretty basic formula, adding some new ideas into the genre and providing an amazing backdrop for not only this game, but hopefully a sequel sometime in the future. Which I believe AdHoc has confirmed they're interested in doing. The diverse cast was perfect, the humor was on point, VA was stellar, artwork evocative. This game offers so much, and for a pretty reasonable price. AND... there is some replay value to be had here as well. I think it's well worth a look. This was a Christmas gift from a great friend, and arguably the best video game gift I've ever received. Many thanks for this one! [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/]Robilar's Reviews[/url], it would be appreciated. Cheers.[/code] [code]Also follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more reviews like this one.[/code]