Following the weekly discussions surrounding Dispatch has proven to be quite the journey. Enthusiasts have eagerly delved into topics ranging from ‘why Waterboy is actually a villain’ to ‘Beef is Shroud.’ However, the fervor truly intensified when it came to the game’s two prominent romance options: Blonde Blazer and Invisigal. In the more extreme corners of social media, opinions became sharply divided, particularly after the conclusion of episode two, leading to a wave of backlash against Blazer.
If you haven’t yet experienced Dispatch and are sensitive to spoilers, now might be the time to step away. But for those still with me, let’s unpack the drama. By the end of episode two, it was revealed that Blazer was in a relationship with Phenomaman. For players who chose to kiss her atop the billboard, this revelation posed a significant dilemma. Yet, as is often the case on the internet, the nuances of this complex situation were quickly overshadowed by a torrent of criticism directed at Blazer. This unexpected backlash took the team at AdHoc Studios by surprise, as I learned during conversations with creative director Dennis Lenart and narrative designer Polly Raguimov.
Unexpected Controversy
“The Blonde Blazer controversy was something we definitely didn’t see coming,” Lenart shared. “It injected a strange energy into a different aspect of the game. No one anticipated that players would perceive Blazer as having insincere intentions. To us, she has always been a pure-hearted character. As developers, it’s disheartening to see her treated this way. It feels akin to watching a friend being unfairly criticized; you just want to defend them. But with episodic releases, we understand that we must allow players to have their own experiences.”
This controversy underscores how effectively Dispatch utilized its episodic format to foster excitement and discussion. Each week, I observed a steady increase in player engagement, with peak concurrent users on Steam nearly doubling with each new episode. By the time the finale arrived, the game had surpassed 220,000 players, briefly outpacing some of the largest titles in the industry. In an era dominated by instant gratification and complete content drops, it’s refreshing to see a sustained interest in this format within the gaming community.
The level of theorycrafting and even tribalism that emerged could not have thrived without the structure of Dispatch. Given the rapid pace of social media conversations, a week between episodes felt just right. Raguimov noted that the cliffhanger at the end of episode six would not have had the same impact without the time to build anticipation before its resolution, a trend that resonates throughout the game’s narrative arcs.
Validation of Episodic Storytelling
However, as previously discussed in interviews, AdHoc faced significant challenges in advocating for an episodic format for Dispatch. For Lenart, the success of this approach feels like a validation of their vision. “Honestly, many aspects of this project faced skepticism, with people advising us against certain choices,” he recounted. “But we believed it could work. Having our own IP allowed us to pursue our creative instincts without the constraints often imposed by publishers or other stakeholders. We thought, ‘Let’s take this leap. If it doesn’t resonate, at least we’ll know we tried.'”
“Of course, some players opted to wait until the entire game was released, and we respect that choice,” Lenart continued. “Our aim was to minimize the wait time between episodes to avoid the long gaps typical of older episodic games, where players would lose interest or get spoiled. We wanted to provide flexibility for our audience.”
As the game unfolded, it was exhilarating to witness players engage with the story and develop fan theories that the team had never considered. Raguimov humorously recalled the myriad speculations about Shroud’s identity, noting that the game explicitly reveals this information early on. “It was amusing to see players expecting a twist when, in reality, there was none,” she remarked.
While many factors contributed to the breakout success of Dispatch, it is evident that AdHoc’s commitment to its vision and the space it allowed for its narrative to evolve within its community were pivotal. Blazer, with her complexities and flaws, embodies the human experience, making her relatable despite her extraordinary abilities.
