Return to the Classic Formula
For decades, stories about masked heroes fighting villains have inspired people around the world. The formula of good versus evil has remained unchanged, and some have begun to tire of it. The golden age of superheroes saw the release of parody animated series such as The Tick and The Venture Bros, which mocked the clichés associated with the franchise.
Over time, the formula began to be altered to satisfy the so-called "modern audience." Scenarios where superheroes fight not villains, but each other, became popular. One of the most popular ideas was to make Superman evil. This direction was one of the reasons for the appearance of the series Invincible, where a hero with Superman's abilities, along with his kin, is the main threat to Earth. The series emphasizes bloody and violent scenes. The culmination of the formula's degradation can be considered the series The Boys, where hatred for superheroes pours from every crack.
In its structure, Dispatch resembles The Venture Bros – the local characters do not shy away from cruelty, violence, attractive appearance, and rude words. But Dispatch is also populated by superheroes who dedicate themselves to fighting evil. And they are opposed by comically bad supervillains. If not the scantily clad characters and swear words are not to someone's liking, then these elements can be smoothed out in the options.
One of the standout superheroes in the game is Phenomacho: a super-strong flying muscleman from space – a clear reference to Superman. Instead of creating another evil Superman, the game developed the idea of Phenomacho's alien origin — resulting in a bumbling muscleman confused by Earth traditions, who wins hearts with his directness.
The character named Chase aroused suspicion. I was sure that the grandfather resembling a black Einstein was a tribute to the ubiquitous agenda. But Chase's first appearance dispelled all doubts – he showed himself as a true superhero who doesn't mince words. And each of his appearances on the screen only strengthens the sympathy felt for the character.
Those were examples of classic superheroes. But the essence of the game lies in parodying the series of the past, where the heroes spend most of their time doing everyday things and using their talents in the most unusual ways.
The Right Suicide Squad
The main character of Dispatch is Robert Robertson: an ordinary guy without superpowers. Robert followed the family tradition – he controls a combat robot in the role of the superhero Mechaman. The game begins with Mechaman single-handedly attacking the base of the supervillain Polog. The hero is ambushed, loses the robot, and miraculously survives himself.
Robert spent all his savings on maintaining the robot in working order, and he simply has nothing to build a new one with. Fortunately, the solution to the problem literally falls from the sky, and also offers a job directing and mentoring superheroes as a dispatcher — the solution to the problem is called Blondie Blazer.
The catch was that Robert was given not novice superheroes to mentor, but hardened supervillains on the path to redemption. The group of former criminals is strong in combat, but weak in discipline and teamwork. The former hero will have to make every effort to turn a gang of madcaps into full members of society.
This setup resembles Suicide Squad, where a group of villains performed the work of heroes. The difference is that the villains from Dispatch voluntarily signed up for the Phoenix re-education program. And they actually have the makings of full-fledged heroes, which makes their story much more interesting.
But it's not just the position of former villains that makes them interesting. All the characters in the game are well-written — Robert's subordinates are no exception. During the execution of the task, they comment on what is happening and talk about their hobbies. Joint work and leisure strengthen relationships, and, in the end, the dispatcher and his unusual group of heroes become a full-fledged family.
Direct and Distribute
The work of a superhero dispatcher is related to responding to calls from concerned citizens. The superhero office can be contacted with banal requests to fix a toilet, get a balloon from a tree, or stop a fight at school. Such problems are much preferable to when another supervillain decides to rob a store or take hostages.
All calls must be answered and a hero with the most suitable characteristics sent to the scene of the disaster. A whole group can be sent to one call, which will increase the chance of completing the task — if the task implies it. Heroes have unique abilities: increasing characteristics when working alone, or creating a copy of a comrade. Such features should also be taken into account to maximize success.
After completing the task, the hero needs time to rest. If everyone is resting, then it will not be possible to send anyone on a task, and that one will disappear after the time expires. If the hero fails the task, then he will be injured, and then weaken. If everything is done correctly, then Robert will be promoted in rank and rewarded with pleasant bonuses. The game is divided into episodes, and all victories and defeats can affect the playthrough in each subsequent one.
The work seems simple, but the wilful nature of subordinates adds spice to it. During the execution of tasks, they may leave on business or sabotage the work of comrades. With such a team, you have to not only make decisions, but also be constantly ready for a crisis situation.
So that the player does not get bored, he is sometimes offered to take personal participation in solving problems. To complete certain calls, you need to use Robert's ability to hack mechanisms. The principle is simple: lead the ball to the goal in the allotted time. The tasks are complicated by obstacles in the form of locks with passwords and aggressive antiviruses.
Hero Selection
In his free time from working as a dispatcher – the game can be watched as a full-fledged film. From Robert's point of view, office life is shown, where people with superpowers and creatures from different corners of the galaxy perform accounting work. Everyday life is diluted by cool battle scenes, where heroes fight villains, or arrange a brutal brawl in a bar. There are also serious moments when the characters have to experience the consequences of their choices.
Periodically, during a conversation, Robert needs to choose one of the answer options. As in games from developers from Telltale Games – the choice is followed by the inscription that "the character will remember this." This means that some actions have consequences. It depends on the player: what kind of hero Robert will be, and what kind of relationship he will have with others. The most important choice is related to the available romances – Robert is free to get to know one of the two beauties who are head over heels in love with him. The girls are so different from each other that after passing the game you want to start the game again, and see what will happen when choosing another romance.
Diagnosis
It is surprising what effect a modern game about superheroes, which was simply done with high quality, can have. It would seem that Dispatch tells a standard story, with standard plot twists in the form of the fall of heroes and their return to glory. The super story is made by the excellently thought-out characters of the heroes and their design; conversations that feel alive; mesmerizing choreography of battle scenes and attention to detail. Because of this, it will not be possible to tear yourself away from what is happening until the very end. And all that was needed was to treat with respect the genre for which you are making the game.
I liked the game so much that I personally purchased the Deluxe edition for myself. The edition includes an artbook where the developers share details about the game's universe. As well as a comic book that reveals the backstory of some characters. Alas, but, unlike the main game, the additional materials are not translated into Russian.