Whiskey Pops up Everywhere in the Video game Dispatch: Subtle at First, Then Impossible to Miss

Anyone playing Dispatch with even a slight soft spot for whiskey will quickly notice something unusual going on. The game sprinkles in whiskey references with surprising regularity. At first it’s subtle, but as you go, it gets more obvious, or should we say more fun?

Early in the game we see protagonist Robbert sharing a drink with Invisigal. What looks like an innocent mix at first turns out to be a whiskey cocktail. Just before that there’s a brief glimpse of a whiskey bottle too, though it barely gets any focus. It feels more like background dressing than deliberate storytelling.

But looks can be deceiving. The deeper you get into Dispatch, the more often whiskey pops up (at one point even for shots!). It’s a recurring motif that slowly seeps in (or sips in, ha) and before long you can’t help wondering: do the creators enjoy a glass themselves?

Things get really interesting in the penultimate chapter. A clear placeholder appears that’s unmistakably meant to evoke Blanton’s. At the same time, it’s obvious Robbert is hitting the bottle harder and harder.

Moments later he’s sprawled on the floor with his dog Beef, bottle still in hand. Whiskey is no longer just set dressing, it’s part of his story. He’s going through it, and seems to be drinking his sorrow away.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the game has one last gag. In the final chapter of Dispatch, a character casually makes coffee. Nothing seems off, until he adds a splash of whiskey to everything. The bottle looks a lot like a Jim Beam.

With the purest of faces he walks onto the floor and serves two people their “coffee.” One of them is Robbert. He takes a sip, shoots him a look… and that says it all.

Dispatch turns out to be packed with cheeky whiskey nods. The average player might miss them, but for whiskey lovers they add a layer of humor, especially toward the end.

So, gamers: if you ever pick up Dispatch, think back to this piece!

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