John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando Review – Outstanding Co-Op Action

If you’re a fan of high-octane co-op shooters, you’ve likely spent many hours watching “zombie walls” crumble under your gunfire in World War Z: Aftermath or gone toe-to-toe with hordes of zombies in Back 4 Blood. Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment have now teamed up with a horror legend for something even more over-the-top. Enter John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando releasing on PC and consoles on March 13, 2026.

The DNA of this game feels like a love letter to the golden era of cooperative shooters. If you’re a veteran of Left 4 Dead or have spent nights grinding through Back 4 Blood, there’s an immediate sense of nostalgia. It captures that specific magic of four friends standing back-to-back against impossible odds, swapping gritty dread for the neon-soaked adrenaline of an 80s B-movie.

It’s no secret that this game draws heavy inspiration from John Carpenter’s 80s classics like The Fog (1980), The Thing (1982), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). These are all absolute classics in my book, and that signature sense of camaraderie, dark humour, and relentless action shines through here. Even the audio is top tier; Carpenter himself produced the main title track in collaboration with his son, Cody, and Daniel Davies. It sets a mood that is unmistakably “Carpenter” from the second the menu loads.

When on mission, you will be scouring the landscape for fuel for your vehicle as well as supplies, ammo and new guns that are fully customisable. Some vehicles will have a top turret so you will need to make sure that is stocked with ammo also. While at times you feel like an invincible machine and the game feels too easy, the second you run out of ammo it all turns pear shaped and you get overrun quickly.

Completing missions nets you XP and you will upgrade gear with attachments like sound suppressors, extended mags, and various optics, making your personalised progression feel rewarding. The real game changer is the vehicle system. Each ride has unique features and abilities spread across the maps, so it is well worth scouring every corner to find them. Some of the vehicles include:

• Banshee: Features a self-destructive bait to lure and clear packs.
• Ambulance: A literal lifesaver that restores health to the squad.
• HMV-Maverick: An all-terrain muscle machine that makes running over zombies feel like pure bliss.

Saber’s “mud-tech” means driving is a challenge through the black sludge and mowing down zombies. You’ll frequently use the winch to pull your rig out of the deep sludge or pry open doors. Coordinating with your mates over voice comms can even snag elite monsters with the cable to drag them into a kill zone.

The voice acting in John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando adds a ton of personality to the chaos. It was great to hear the legend Clive Standen as Walter Irons, alongside Lucy Martin as Ruby Pelicano, Omari Hardwick as Cato Arman, and Charlet Chung as Astrid Xu. They bring the four distinct archetypes to life:

• The Strike: The damage dealer. Their explosive fireball is a perfect panic button for clearing swarms, eventually evolving into a Sentinel plasma cutter.
• The Medic: Essential for high difficulty runs. They utilise healing rings and Remote Treatment grenades to keep the squad standing.
• The Defender: The frontline tank. Their Barrier Dome blocks projectiles and slows the horde, and the Aegis skill lets you charge through crowds like a human shield.
• The Operator: The utility specialist. They manage vehicle damage and fuel efficiency, even using drones to repair rides remotely.

Post-mission, you will have an opportunity to dive into each character’s class perks, enabling even more death and destruction.

Overall, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a fine example of blowing up zombies with your mates in an adrenaline filled 80s B-movie setting. While the campaign is relatively short, the combination of tight gunplay, 80s cheese, and rewarding class progression makes it a fantastic addition to any co-op rotation. For fans of 80s horror and tight co-op carnage, this is a bloody good time.

This review utilised a key provided by Sandbox Strategies and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox and PlayStation.

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