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It’s been great to see just how much the co-op genre has evolved lately. From pure chaos with friends in small levels trying to extract with space junk to defending planets from bugs, robots, and a few pesky aliens, or even surviving against hordes of zombies. However, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando takes it up a notch by marrying a frenetic FPS gameplay with vehicular mayhem, in-depth weapon customization, classes for every character, an enticing progression system, and all wrapped in a gorgeous-looking package.
You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
I had the opportunity to try a preview build of John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, and as someone who didn’t know what to expect, I was blown away by every single thing I was able to experience in this demo of sorts.
The premise is quite cliché: a group of mercenaries hired by a “mysterious client” to deliver a mysterious package. Yet, as soon as they are about to wrap up their mission, things go south. They use the package to protect themselves from an unknown enemy, and in doing so, obtain supernatural powers. Now, they have to make it up to the client by going to the source of the conundrum to eliminate the Sludge God.
Let me tell you: despite being a co-op shooter, the story hooked me instantly, thanks to its humor, character interactions, and some of the most gorgeous cinematics I’ve seen in a co-op game. Yet, and let’s face it, most of us are here for the gameplay, and that is the part that really shines as it moves away from the somewhat smaller co-op experiences we’ve seen lately that often fall into a linear aspect.
Before diving into the actual FPS, combat, and exploration part, let’s talk about what might sound like a rough entry point for many: the co-op aspect. Yes, it is a cooperative experience, but I was surprised to see my AI companions with me as soon as I started the tutorial. Even if you only have a few friends, the other spots of this 4-player mayhem will get filled by AI partners, meaning that you can play this solo if that’s what you prefer. And yes, the AI is actually great in this title, which was yet another pleasant surprise.
Controlling each character was a breeze, as you only needed to press one button to have a character heal you or use spare parts to open a crate, repair a turret, or something else. Even in this preview build, the AI companions felt quite polished, which is a welcome sight. But now, let’s move on to your actual playable mercenary.
Like a Mercenary in an Armory
Unlike other games where you fight hordes of zombies or other creatures, this game feels much more complete. To begin with, its characters are unique. For instance, in games like Killing Floor 3, you can choose a soldier with special abilities. In John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, there are four mercenaries, and players can select their preferred role. These are Strike (DPS), Medic (healer), Operator (Support), and Defender (Tank). Each role has its own skill tree, so you can create your own build and choose your favorite weapons based on what you find on the map.
I tried Strike while my partner went with Defender, and it was nice to see just how vast and customizable the skill tree was. You’ll obtain skill points by leveling up, and you can use them to unlock passive or active abilities. For example, the Tank class begins with a shield that protects foes and damages enemies, and other nodes in the tree provide extra HP for that class or even more ammo for your primary weapon. And yes, you can refund your skill points at any moment.
Another mechanic I enjoyed was the vehicles. You can find some of the four available cars on the map, and they also have their own anti-zombie perks. Among the vehicles are a police car with self-destruct, an ambulance to recover HP, and a pickup truck with a flamethrower. The last and my favorite is an HMV modified to be impenetrable, with a turret and a harpoon, and it also generates electric shocks.
However, since this is a somewhat post-apocalyptic adventure, driving the vehicles is not easy. There’s a layer of management and repairing that requires you to refuel your car, repair it, and even top up its ammo reserves, assuming it has an attached weapon for you to use. It adds this sprinkle of survival element to the chaotic shooter, which is pretty cool to see, as it immerses you more in the role of a mercenary scavenging for goods in the sludge-riddled areas.
Still, the game’s alluring part is its scope. I’ve been playing co-op games for years, and most of them tend to feel a bit small, instanced, and repetitive at times. Here, the maps are large with many POIs to discover, and side objectives that will often have you wondering, “Should I spend my ammo in that objective or save it for the final horde?”
In the Skin of a Super Soldier
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando gives shooting video games a more cinematic feel. It throws you into these huge areas full of hordes the size of World War Z, but with some supernatural shenanigans of zombies you can find in Left 4 Dead. In truth, it looks like one of the most enticing and chaotic co-op experiences out there, and one that breaks the mold by going for a bigger scope, throwing planning and strategic layers, but respecting what makes a co-op fun: pure, fast-paced action, where every moment can go awry by one questionable choice from another teammate, and I can’t wait to experience that once the game launches.
