Transmission Review: A unique twist that’s rare in superhero stories

We are so saturated with superhero media that even self-criticism has been done to death with franchises like The guards and Boys. But with its first choice narrative adventure, AdHoc Studio has managed to find a unique angle on the superhero genre.

in sendthe story focuses on an office server and company manager of said superheroes, rather than the heroes themselves. This is a beautifully animated, episodic choice-driven narrative adventure, inspired largely by the history of the team at Telltale Games. So far, only two of the eight episodes have been released, with two more being released each week until November 12. However, be prepared for very little interaction in this interactive experience.

As the unfortunately named Robert Robertson III (brilliantly played by Aaron Paul), an unlucky hero who lacks powers, you are sent by a superhuman security company. Instead of cops or security guards, agents call the Super Hero Dispatch Network (SDN) for help with all kinds of problems, from cats in trees to jewelry theft. Robert runs his own team of reformed super-villains, and it’s up to you to decide which villains you want to send, based on their personal history and power. Is Manbat sending his crypto-bro to escort a celebrity, or an attractive pop star with magical light powers? Would you send an undercover ex-assassin or a girl who can become invisible to infiltrate a robbery?

These are the quick choices you make when Robert sits down on his first day at work, after an almost hour-long introduction. Robert’s choices affect the outcome of the given emergency, which, if successful, levels up the heroes to different attributes. These attributes – such as combat and charisma – determine the outcome of the scenario. For example, you wouldn’t send an inarticulate superhero to an event that requires a good speaker. Scenarios appear on his computer screen in the 1990s, just like brief emergencies in a world Sim City game. You’ll never see any animation happen during these scenarios, since Robert is in his office and only communicates via audio. However, only having access to the first two episodes meant I only sent twice, and it took about five to 10 minutes each time.

Outside of dispatch missions, most of the game includes dialogue, movement, and quick-event options (although these can be turned off). Anyone who has played the popular Telltale game The walking dead You will know the mechanics. However, this is one of the most restrictive narrative adventures I’ve played. You can’t even control Robert’s movements in terms of walking and talking. This is less a Monkey Island Adventure and more Black mirror‘s Bandersnatch. This seems to allow for stunning, hand-crafted animation, but with a quality that matches high-quality adult animated shows like invincible and mysterious. Add to this an outstanding cast – including the aforementioned Paul, and there’s Laura Bailey, Jeffrey Wright, Travis Willingham, and others – and it really does look like a high-budget show.

The downside is the limited consequences – at least early on. I played both episodes several times, given how short each was (the first episode was about 30 minutes), and made different selections to see how the results differed. With the exception of a decision in a bar fight that may or may not have resulted in a recurring character’s front tooth falling out, very little of the game’s story has changed. To be fair, I have no idea how late in the entire season the consequences will play out. A few times a “X will remember this” pop-up appeared, but I only saw the result of that a few times.

These limitations relate to the ‘combat’ sequences – despite being quick-time events, the ones I experienced would have had a different outcome if you’d left the buttons alone. You can turn off quick time events, but even with them on, the result doesn’t change. I don’t know what benefit these quick events serve, whether on or off, which just goes to show how limited and restrictive the game is.

The story begins with Robert, known as MechaMan, piloting a giant suit of robot armor, tracking down his father’s killer. His father, who was a MechaMan before him, was killed by a supervillain named Shroud. In the ensuing fight, the suit is destroyed and Robert is left with nothing. He is soon recruited by a real-life super-powered superhero, Blonde Blazer, the most generic “sexy blonde” hero you can imagine.

By contrast, the main character Robert is not at all generic: he is neither angry nor reckless. It is determined, clear and thoughtful. He has been given the worst team to manage, but he sees it as a challenge rather than a simple matter. While you have to make choices, Robert’s character is quite specific.

The game’s strength lies in its writing and characters. Without the restrictions of working with licensed characters, the developers get creative with their heroes. I thoroughly enjoyed the short interactions between and with the spandex-clad weirdos. As an unpowered hero, Robert navigates them with both tension and annoyance but not fear. I look forward to seeing how relationships develop and who Robert associates with.

But for now I’m only cautiously optimistic about where it will go send Going. During the first two episodes — which are barely two hours long, feature straightforward outcomes, limited interaction, and little idea of ​​the actual plot — I’m not sure. I fell in love with the animation, voice work, and characters, but these are elements you can experience in a Let’s Play game on YouTube. Now the game should explain to me why I should play instead of watch.

_{The first two episodes of send Available now on PS5 and Steam.}