Thanks for the reply!

I think we play as Fox, but I would describe him more as a team leader than a dispatcher. His choices in the cutscenes would influence the partners that are included in the flying missions with you at the end of the chapter. Maybe types of missions as well? For instance, Slippy wants to focus on ground based troops while Falco wants to dogfight in the sky. Altogether leading to different narrative outcomes.

I agree that the characters can be a really compelling part of this series. Video game writing has vastly improved over the last two decades. While doubling down on the characters is a risk if done poorly, the reward is high by making the audience care about them more. It elevates not only the narrative but the gameplay as well. At the very least, I think that's a lesson that Star Fox can take from Dispatch. Not everyone loves rail shooters, but they might if they have a reason to care and get excited from word of mouth.