Looking back at the games released in 2025, it's clear how stacked a year it was for gaming. While I loved my time with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Hades 2and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33it has been Dispatch which has stuck with me more than any other. While I am not alone in my love for Dispatchthere seems to be a misconception that it doesn't deserve to be considered on the same level as the other titles because it's more of an interactive TV show than a game. However, I believe that this line of thinking is misguided and that Dispatch is as much of a game as any of the GOTY 2025 nominees.
I was immediately hooked Dispatch first time i played its demo earlier this year. I'm someone who really enjoyed the Telltale Games style of episodic, choose-your-own-adventure side-by-side games that The wolf among us and Tales from the borderlandthus a successor to that formula i Dispatch piqued my interest. Dispatch was the only game I played this year that I immediately started a replay of after finishing it for the first time, and it was from completing those replays that I realized Dispatch had more gameplay to offer than it gets enough credit for.
Minor spoilers too Dispatch Forward.
No, Dispatch is not just an interactive TV show
There is no argument for that Dispatch has amazing writing and voice performances. That's a big part of why it's become so popular and far exceeds the sales that developer AdHoc had expected from the game. However, these features are not unique to video games, and the same praise could be said for an animated TV series, which has become the main issue for those who do not believe Dispatch is probably a game to be considered in the same league as Hollow Knight: Silk Song or Expedition 33.
Other entries in the interactive film genre have won big at video game awards
As a sequel to Telltale's iconic interactive video games, it's easy to compare Dispatch to these titles. And Dispatch are in good company when making this comparison, as some of these games have beaten out more traditional video games for major awards in the past:
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Telltale's The Walking Dead (2012) — Game of the Year, Spike Video Game Awards
- The wolf among us (2014) — Direction in a Game Cinema, NAVGTR Awards
The Walking Deadthe game that truly pioneered this genre in the modern gaming era won the GOTY Award at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2012. The show that was the precursor to today's The Game Awards awarded this style of gameplay its most prestigious honor, setting the precedent that interactive movies can still compete on the same level as traditional video games. The wolf among us received multiple nominations for the 2014 DICE Awards and NAVGTR Awards, ultimately winning the award for Direction in a Game Cinema in the latter.
Dispatch Goes Beyond the Formula of Games like The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead
While there are clear similarities between Telltale's award-winning titles and Dispatchsuch as the episodic release schedule and choice-based gameplay that affects the overall story, Dispatch is the more robust of these types of games. While the release schedule for The Walking Dead and The wolf among us had episodes months apart, Dispatch released two episodes per week in an attempt to emulate this type of release in a more streamlined time frame. In addition, Dispatch features far more RPG mechanics than any of the Telltale games, going beyond simple quick time events and dialogue choices.
Dispatch can be divided into two distinct experiences
There are basically two sides of each Dispatch section: the interactive movie page and the superhero management simulation page. While the interactive movie side plays a lot like what you'd expect from a Telltale-style game, I was genuinely surprised by how deep the mechanics of the management simulator side of the game go. Not only do you have to consider which heroes are suitable for which jobs based on their raw stats, and how to help them when you run into trouble on the job, but also plan a well-rounded team around Dispatchs synergy mechanic with skill point investments creates a layer of metagame that games like The Walking Dead and The wolf among us lack.
Dispatch offers more to players the more they interact with the game
Dispatch offers the player a chance to play the game without having to participate in quick events, but I was glad I turned them on because you can get unique scenes for failing to interact with the game. For example, failing a quick time event during bar fight in Dispatch Episode 5 may have Sonar/Coupe come to Robert's rescue in a slightly rough bathroom brawl. This option would be missed if I had chosen to turn off quick time events when starting a playthrough.
Management simulation page of Dispatch has also become so addictive and popular with fans that an Endless Mode for Dispatch has been in heavy demand. I know I'd drop hours in this mode, and that's after multiple 8 hour playthroughs of the game as it is. The combination of different story scenarios that arise from Dispatchs choice-based gameplay, along with its robust management simulation meets RPG mode, make Dispatch more than just an interactive television show, but a well-rounded video game that has both the narrative complexity and gameplay depth to be worthy of the Game of the Year conversation.
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, crude humor, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, use of drugs and alcohol
- Developer
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AdHoc Studio
- Publisher
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AdHoc Studio
