John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando Review – So-So, Commando

While you might think, as I did when starting, that John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando was born from the success of Space Marine 2, Saber Interactive actually announced it way back in Summer 2023. It was originally scheduled to launch in 2024 but faced unanticipated (and ultimately unknown) delays. It’s finally upon us, bringing yet another attempt at co-op zombie-slaying to the masses with maybe some unique element to distinguish it from the pack.

Your mileage will vary on that, but one thing that it probably isn’t worth delving into is the story. For a game that shouldn’t have to focus all that much on narrative, Toxic Commando certainly tries. In a nutshell, you control the self-proclaimed squad as they take on a mysterious job to deliver a mysterious container. All hell literally and figuratively breaks loose, and after ending up infected, they work together with their new benefactor to take out the very source of the infection. Sounds simple enough, yet it’s dotted by horrible dialogue (“Is there a Mr Gallagher?” Really?), awkward humor and non-existent chemistry between the cliched characters. Why Saber constantly insists on it, especially with the sheer number of cutscenes, is bizarre, but you can mercifully skip them.

"Still, at least the shooting is responsive enough – the number of options to customize in that regard is also great – and you’ll get very good at sweeping the hordes aside. That’s usually when the game will ramp up the challenge."

Where Toxic Commando ultimately delivers, even if it doesn’t massively shine, is in the action. If you’ve been hankering for some Left4Dead-style action with minimally intrusive gimmicks, then you’re more than covered. You’ve got wanderers roaming out on their own, seemingly waiting for you; mobs that appear as tensions rise, forcing players to deal with them or risk getting overrun; and, the usual favorite, swarms spilling over themselves in waves upon waves, like a barely contained undead ocean. It’s all you can do to stay out of the way, unloading everything and hoping it buys enough space before the next tide rolls on in.

All the usual weaponry is on hand – shotguns, assault rifles, submachine guns, etc, which can be customized with attachments. You can only carry one primary at a time, with a secondary slot reserved for pistols, and a melee slot for crowbars, bats, machetes, etc. Then there are the special weapons discovered on each map, ranging from two types of grenade launchers to an ineffective LMG and a railgun that’s excellent against heavier targets.

While the variety is all well and good, you’ll have to stick with one option for extended periods of time to level it up and unlock the ability to equip certain attachments. Over time, you can increase a weapon’s tier, which increases its ammo and certain stats, like penetration, or prestige it, resetting the progress for the sake of some unlocks. It would be all well and good if the currency gains on Normal and below didn’t feel so lackluster, but even if you can get past that, this is a fairly standard, by-the-numbers weapon upgrade system that sadly lacks any imagination.

At least the skill trees for each class are slightly better. I focused mainly on the Strike, and delighted in turning my palm blast into an eye-in-the-sky that obliterated those below. However, once again, there are several other nodes devoted to unexciting options like “extra grenade” or “faster reload speed,” which is a shame.

Still, at least the shooting is responsive enough – the number of options to customize in that regard is also great – and you’ll get very good at sweeping the hordes aside. That’s usually when the game will ramp up the challenge. I definitely noticed mobs becoming more frequent, even on the earlier stages of Normal difficulty in co-op, not to mention the imminent arrival of special infected. Unfortunately, Toxic Commando doesn’t really do much to innovate on the same, right down to the Tank that barrels towards a person and grabs them while constantly slamming them into the ground.

"If you’re content enough to weather the storm without any tools like mortars, traps and turrets, then by all means skip those Spare Parts, but they can serve as a neat distraction, especially when trying to gather additional currency for unlocking attachments (and even cosmetics)."

Nevertheless, they each have unique roles – I especially liked how a blast from the stalker would tangle your vehicle in roots, requiring you to manually shoot them to continue. It’s a nice “Why aren’t we moving?” which quickly turns into “Why aren’t the rest of you dealing with this?” if you’re the driver before pre-emptively stepping out and taking care of the issue yourself (not projecting, of course). However, aside from spawning the team on different points of the map at the start of each mission and changing up the optional objectives, don’t expect much more in terms of “randomness”, which definitely impacts the replay value.

The option to drive around the map before heading to the next objective, gathering supplies like Spare Parts, special weapons, ammo and whatnot, is also intriguing. Driving can occasionally become an issue, especially if you’re in a vehicle without a wench and get stuck in the mud, but at least they each have unique functions, like the Ambulance’s healing, and the controls are on point.

If you’re content enough to weather the storm without any tools like mortars, traps and turrets, then by all means skip those Spare Parts, but they can serve as a neat distraction, especially when trying to gather additional currency for unlocking attachments (and even cosmetics). It is a little egregious that Spare Parts are also required to refill on ordinance (the special weapon caches are at least higher rarity), and that not all locations for the climactic fights provide at least one of the resources for each team member. But, as tedious as it can sometimes be to go out of your way to a location for the same, especially with how lackluster the different points of interest can be, it is worth it.

Except when sometimes playing solo, and that’s purely due to the knockdown system. When you or your teammates are downed in co-op, there’s a limited time to revive you. It can be extended by slaying zombies around (and shortened as they deal damage), but once you’re out, a teammate must find you in a sludge cocoon or whatever to bring you back. Special seeds, which offer bonus rewards if carried until the end of the mission, can serve as a self-revive in this state.

But if you’re solo and taken out without having a seed on hand? Thanks for coming – now repeat the whole mission. No checkpoints, nothing. I can’t even blame my AI teammates in such circumstances because the bosses and special infected hit hard enough that I don’t have time to wait for their revives. And best of all, the timer to extend your downed state is based on kills, not on, say, damage dealt. So if you’re surrounded by special infected, not even a fully upgraded magnum will save you.

"All in all, Toxic Commando should be taken at face value – as a dumb, arcadey shooter that you can spend the weekend with other people and maybe waste some time on solo (just beware that there’s no offline option). Nothing less but certainly nothing more."

Which is a shame because, solo or with teammates, the greater difficulties are where Toxic Commando really shines. Swarms become far more common; healing and other resources become rarer; and you’ll actually need to train hordes, if not coordinate with teammates, to take out special infected faster, rather than face-tanking or simply accepting that oversized death grab. It’s tense, and the rewards are much more satisfying – it’s a shame that the lack of checkpoints in solo doesn’t make it worth the risk if you’re trying to farm currency for attachments and upgrades. Then again, it may be a worthwhile challenge for those who have mastered co-op and want something a little more challenging to really feel something (especially since there isn’t much more content on offer).

Performance Mode served me well enough on PS5, even if I had to ignore image quality at longer ranges to save my eyes. The frame rate stayed mostly stable, which is saying something given the sheer amount of chaos happening on screen. Overall, fidelity is nothing to shout about, and the odd few bugs can be seen, but nothing too crazy.

All in all, Toxic Commando should be taken at face value – as a dumb, arcadey shooter that you can spend the weekend with other people and maybe waste some time on solo (just beware that there’s no offline option). Nothing less but certainly nothing more. Whether Saber deigns to build on this further remains to be seen, but hopefully it focuses on more content and less awful storytelling.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.