Toxic Commando: Everything We Know

The Summer Game Fest was a jam-packed event full of exciting reveals and announcements. It was almost like breaking open a piñata and watching all the candy fall out. And amidst that jumble of games that fell out, one, in particular, caught our eye. That was Toxic Commando, a new co-op horror FPS developed by Saber Interactive. While it does not appear to be breaking new ground in the genre, it does have one intriguing aspect – the legendary John Carpenter is writing the story.

If you're still confused, John Carpenter is a famous American filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the masters of the horror genre. To round out the picture, he's frequently expressed his love for video games. So much so that he previously stated his desire to make a Dead Space film. However, since that is unlikely to happen, it appears Carpenter has settled for the next best thing, an 80s-inspired, over-the-top humor, action, and horror co-op game. Which is, to be frank, right up Carpenter's alley. That is why we are delving a little deeper to learn everything we can about Toxic Commando.

What is Toxic Commando?

Toxic Commando is a horror co-op first-person shooter in which you fight off hordes of monsters with up to three friends. However, this isn't a willy-nilly run-around co-op shooter. Okay, in some ways it is, but it will also be accompanied by a story that players will progress through. A story that is being written by none other than John Carpenter himself. So you can expect a backbone to this horror shooter other than the FPS action itself. Nonetheless, the game is being developed by Sabre Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment.

Story

As stated on the official game website, Toxic Commando's story is described as follows: “In the near future, an experimental attempt to harness the power of the Earth’s core ends in a terrifying disaster: the release of the Sludge God. This eldritch abomination begins terraforming the area, turning soil to scum and the living… to undead monsters!”

Now, the genius who started this mess is looking to clean it up. “All he needs is a team of competent, highly-trained mercenaries to get the job done.” The best of the best in the mercenary industry, on the other hand, are rather expensive. That's why he's gone cheap and hired the Toxic Commandos. That's right, you're playing as bottom of the barrel Mercenaries who are being paid minimum wage to save the world. Where do I sign up?

Jokes aside, that is one of the most intriguing plots we've seen all year. Perfect for an '80s-inspired setting, with just enough levity in the narrative to make you laugh while still delivering epic action gameplay. Like it or not, we appreciate Carpenter's use of humor in the story, rather than attempting a super serious narrative that we can't take seriously once we actually get to the gameplay. Take Redfall for example…

Gameplay

At its core, Toxic Commandos gameplay is a cooperative first-person shooter. Within that, it appears you can choose between classes and an array of weapons and gear for them. Furthermore, there are grenades, special abilities, and even melee weapons, such as Katanas. According to the game's description, you will be “Upgrading your skills and testing new abilities against increasingly hardcore challenges”. So it appears that there will be a skill tree as well as unique special abilities for each class to aid them in combat.

All in all, it looks like the Toxic Commandos are getting outfitted with a full arsenal of equipment to assist in their world-saving mission. This should make for very dynamic gameplay, that will help us take on the “explosive cocktail of visceral FPS action and apocalyptic environments” as described on the games page.

Development

Toxic Commando is being developed by Saber Interactive. They have had their hand in other horror titles like Evil Dead: The Game and World War Z. On top of their work with the Crysis series, we're confident they'll deliver on their end of the bargain. Of course, the same can be said for John Carpenter, who has already demonstrated his horror scriptwriting prowess with the story so far. It's just a matter of time before it all comes together.

Trailer

Toxic Commando was, of course, revealed at the Summer Game Fest with a rather epic reveal trailer. If you missed it, you can watch it for yourself right above.

In it, we see our Toxic Commandos belting “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi as they drive into the onslaught of horror that awaits them. During the action montage, you can see glimpses of the different types of vehicles, weapons, and monstrosities in the game. And, based on what we've seen so far, it truly appears to be an “explosive cocktail of visceral FPS action and apocalyptic environments.”

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

As of right now, Toxic Commando is slated to release sometime in 2024, although no release window has been set. The good news is that the game will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S. While we can't confirm cross-play just yet, we'd be surprised if they didn't include it. Aside from that, there's no word on the game's editions. Nonetheless, stay tuned to Gaming.net as we'll be covering all the latest updates and developments on Toxic Commando when it sheds.

So, what do you think about John Carpenter's Toxic Commando? Are you a fan of John Carpenter's work? Do you think this will be the next best horror co-op game? Let us know your thoughts on our socials here!