John Carpenter's Toxic Commando Reviews

It’s interesting going back and looking at Saber Interactive’s catalog of games and the variety of things they have made. Vehicle based games like the Mudrunner series, first person shooters like Insurgency: Sandstorm, third person shooters like the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine games, co-op focused games like Painkiller, to even a VR Exploding Kittens game. They have really done a lot of styles and genre’s and I commend them for that even if they don’t always hit high. John C...

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando blends Left 4 Dead-style zombie blasting with systems borrowed from Saber's back catalogue. The results work well enough, but are undermined by flabby mission design and unnecessary meta-progression.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando has been a game that I’ve been looking forward to ever since it was first announced at Summer Game Fest in 2023. Throughout the years, Saber Interactive has mastered the art of throwing endless hordes of monsters at you, all while ensuring you’re able to somehow stand your ground. As a love letter to the 80’s, it has a lot of style but often falls short on substance.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando doesn't break out so much as cater to the Left4Dead-leaning, even with its more open-ended approach and use of vehicles. It works more often than not - just don't expect it to aspire to much more.

A competent Left 4 Dead clone that seems to have gained little from the association with John Carpenter, but it is a sensibly priced diversion for those that want a new co-op shooter to play with friends.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando delivers brutal co-op zombie action, smooth gunplay, grotesque visuals, and a killer soundtrack, even if solo play struggles.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is such a chaotic and thrilling action co-op, where each mission offers solid fun and visually appealing combat consistently.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a fast-paced co-op shooter that fully embraces its B-movie horror roots, delivering chaotic gunfights, grotesque enemies, and a thumping synth soundtrack. While its mechanics are familiar and progression is fairly light, the game shines when played with friends, turning every mission into loud, messy fun. It’s a confident, no-nonsense experience that values atmosphere and teamwork over depth, and succeeds by knowing exactly what it wants to be.

In its best moments, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is an unbelievably good time. Even in its worst moments, it's still a pretty solid zombie shooter with some great set pieces. That being said, any problems with the game can and probably will be fixed in time. The janky bots and frustrating solo player experience definitely make things a little rough around the edges, but underneath that is a fantastic game that will absolutely exceed your expectations if you give it a chance.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando delivers pure co-op chaos with confidence and flair. Massive hordes, satisfying weapon variety, inventive vehicles, and clever salvage/defense mechanics create consistently thrilling missions. Class progression, skill trees, and temporary heavy weapons encourage experimentation and strategic play. Performance dips are minor in comparison to the spectacle, and while the game doesn’t reinvent the genre, it refines a familiar formula in ways that feel fresh, especially with friends. Overall, it’s a high-energy, replayable co-op experience that shines brightest in teamwork-driven chaos.

Weapons are plentiful, with a wide range of types to help you eliminate foes. Each gun features a variety of attachments, allowing you to upgrade your favourite. There’s also an individual levelling system for every weapon, which can discourage experimentation. While this does support replayability, levelling up each gun separately can feel a little tedious.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is one of the most polished modern co-op shooters out there, but it might need a few more things beyond its grinding to hook players into this post-apocalyptic mayhem.

Dated mission structure and zombie design hold back Toxic Commando to an extent, but Saber Interactive still executed on a couple of fresh ideas. The Swarm Engine’s impressive zombie hordes, satisfying gunplay, and MudRunner-style vehicle physics that shouldn’t work but do are reason enough to grab a few friends and start blasting the undead.

There are nits to pick with Toxic Commando​​​​​, but how egregious they are will ultimately come down to player preference. Some may find its accessibility a win for the multiplayer experience, while some may find it too easy. Some will appreciate its lack of bloat, while others will want deeper skill trees and more customization. All in all, though, fans of cheesy horror and zombie co-op shooters will find plenty to love in it. John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is not a game-changer, but it doesn't pretend to be, and it's all the better for it.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a satisfying spiritual successor to World War Z and a moreish co-op zombie shooter with enough new mechanics to stand out. The shift towards larger, more open maps and the addition of vehicles are both enjoyable twists that add more gameplay possibilities than ever and, although the campaign is a little brief, there’s plenty of room for the game to grow like the studio’s previous effort.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a decent zombie horde shooter made better with friends, but one that, despite its short run time, can feel overly repetitive and uninspired.

It shoots loud, and it feels heavy, but not one element of Toxic Commando can agree on which should be the core focus, leaving a messy tangled web of underdeveloped mechanics for the player to figure out.

Co-op shooters built around zombie hordes are not exactly rare. Over the years, we have seen countless variations, such as Killing Floor 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and plenty more. Some focused on speed, others lean on tactical survival, and a few try to stand out with a unique twist. So I must say I do love a good zombie theme (hopefully someone will make a Dawn of the Dead simulator).

Some time far, far in the future, the very last zombie game will be released and its developers will weep, for there will be no more conceivable worlds for undead hordes to conquer. Saber Interactive will have had a big hand in that, as World War Z and its recent The Walking Dead DLC have covered off both fast and slow moving zombies within an early 2000s setting, and now there’s John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando for an 80s inspired sci-fi romp.

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