💡Dispatch Proves Superhero Fatigue is NOT REAL

Superhero fatigue is the idea that viewers are tired of the constant stream of superhero movies and shows. Hollywood has being using this term as the reason why their superhero titles are not doing too well.

While there might be some truth to that, I believe Dispatch proves this is just not the case. From the moment this game came out, the internet was filled with fan-art, theories, reactions, and a level of engagement Marvel and DC's cinematic universes could only dream of.

I'm not saying all Marvel and DC stuff is bad. It just doesn't feel as special as it used to be. That's why series like The Boys and Invincible did so well. They brought something we have never seeing from mainstream superhero media.

However, in the gaming side, things seem to be a bit more varied.

While titles like Gotham Knights, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Marvel's Avengers didn't do too well, the Spider-Man and Arkham games, to this day, have a massive positive reception.

For something a bit more recent, we have Marvel Rivals which is still going strong one year later even though the hype has calmed down, and a few toxic players have invaded Quick Play.

However, all these successful games have something in common.

They offered something different.

The Spider-Man and Arkham titles gave us a far more immersive experience as the heroes than any other previous titles with its story and gameplay mechanics, while Marvel Rivals gave us the first hero-shooter with Marvel superheros.

Now in 2025 we have Dispatch. A Telltale game made by AdHoc Studio. A studio formed by some ex-talents involved in the famous The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us Telltale Series.

It might not be the first superhero Telltale game, but it is certainly a unique one.

I say this because Dispatch isn't just another decision-making simulator. It is an immersive interactive story, with superheroes that feel like people instead of some kind of idolized modern gods.

I do have to admit I didn't know what to expect from Dispatch when I first heard about it since I haven't played any good telltale games in a long time.

I also kinda believed the whole superhero fatigue narrative since I lost all interest in superhero movies, but when I started seeing clips of the game all over my YouTube feed, it immediately hooked me.

Firstly, because it has nothing to do with Marvel, DC, or any of the mainstream superheroes most of us are familiar with so it brings something fresh with a new roster of characters. It does resemble series like Invincible, One Punch Man, and My Hero Academia in the sense that it treats being a hero as a job, but that's about it.

It also comes with a fun minigame that serves as a nice break from all the decision-making and rewards you with some funny interactions between the members of the Z-Team. This is a group of reformed villains you are in charge of sending to assist citizens who call for help.

They also took a different approach to the art-style and I'm so glad they did.

I don't think Dispatch would have had the same impact if it looked like traditional telltale titles because its colorful and varied design, makes each character easily standout from the rest.

Just take a look at them:

Not only that, but you can get a pretty good idea about their personalities just by taking a glance at them and their interactions feel more natural than in most games like this.

That just shows how good its writing is.

However, it was the voice acting what sold this game to me because it's what made the personality of each character shine. This was only possible because Dispatch had a strong cast of voice actors, which was a mix of well-known actors and popular content creators.

You have no idea how surprised I was when I found out I could play a game with MoistCr1TiKaL and Jacksepticeye and that our protagonist is voiced by Aaron Paul.

Needless to say, the entire cast cooked with their performances.

All of these things gave me a strong good first impression and, clearly, I wasn't the only one who got hooked since in just one month it sold 2 million copies. AdHoc Studio also recently announced they are close to beat their 3-year target in just three months.

This is nothing more than a well deserved win.

However, if I had to pick one thing I liked the most, it has to be the story. This is what made me realize that the real problem with most mainstream superhero titles is not the “superhero fatigue” Hollywood keeps mentioning, but just awful writing that either ruins beloved characters or kills any interest for new ones.

With Dispatch, I didn't feel exhausted after each chapter. Instead, I was excited to see what was next and this was something I haven't felt since the Avengers End Game.

That's why "superhero fatigue" feels more like a convenient excuse as to why superhero movies and some games are not doing well while ignoring that the real problem is that most superhero titles are just doing more of the same without adding anything new.

And the problem with that is that it makes each release feel like a copy-paste from other titles and people are tired of that. Even more so when the characters they know and love are being misrepresented.

💭Final Thoughts

Superhero fatigue is not the issue here. The real problem is that most studios are not making anything new or interesting with one of the biggest and most popular IPs in the world, or they create something that completely misses the mark.

With Dispatch, we got something fresh that has more soul than many things that has come out of the MCU and the DCEU in the last few years.

The characters feel somewhat relatable, have appealing personalities, and cool dynamics.

Robert is a good example of this. He is a veteran hero who was forced to retire after a confrontation put him in a coma and destroyed his suit. Now he got an office job and is in charge of leading the Z-team and is pretty much a divorced dad dealing with a bunch of rowdy children. Which is a fun dynamic when done right.

But the best part about this is that the members of the team aren't these typical unidimensional characters that are incapable of growth or are just annoying the entire time. Instead, you get to see how they go from not caring about the team to putting the team first.

This development felt natural, and their different interactions make us care about them in a way I don't always see in other telltale style games do and it's thanks to this unique approach that Dispatch stands out from the rest.

The devs haven't announced if they have any plans of releasing a second season, but honestly I hope they do because I'm excited to learn more about this world and characters they have created.