Co-op Zombie shooters are the peak of simple fun. Just get in a lobby with your friends, gear up, and survive wave after wave of enemies together. This simple formula has faded in and out of popularity over the last few years, but Saber Interactive has brought it back guns blazing.

After spending time with John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, I can confidently say that the studio has done the formula right. Thanks to Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, I was able to spend time with the PC version ahead of launch, and the result is exactly what you’d expect from a game with “Toxic” in the title.

Toxic Commando has big explosions, sludge monsters, absurd weapons, and a great co-op setup for some fun with friends. It’s not trying to be the next big competitive shooter or a cinematic narrative masterpiece. What it is, however, is a very entertaining co-op zombie shooter that understands exactly what kind of game it wants to be.

An Apocalyptic Campaign Straight Out of a Movie

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

The main campaign of John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando follows exactly the kind of story you’d expect from an over-the-top zombie action game. In the near future, a drilling experiment has gone wrong, unleashing a supernatural entity known as the Sludge God.

The sludge has corrupted the land, and it has turned humans into grotesque undead creatures. The solution? Hire a group of expendable mercenaries to head straight into the mess and clean it up. Enter, our so-called Toxic Commandos.

This group of four characters is far from heroic. They’re loud, reckless, and not exactly the brightest group ever assembled. But that’s part of the charm. The game leans heavily into B-movie energy, with corny dialogue, absurd situations, and a tone that never takes itself too seriously.

In my playthrough of the campaign, the story’s purpose was mostly just to take me from one mission to the next. The missions are set up to be similar to over-the-top action movie set pieces. And of course, it includes cheesy banter, loud music, and absurdly large zombie hordes.

Endless Chaos With Four Players and Classes

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

At its core, Toxic Commando is a four-player co-op shooter, and a lot of the game’s systems expect you to team up with other players. The game can be played solo with AI taking over the role of the other Commandos, but it’s very clear that the game shines brightest when played with others.

While reviewing the game, I had one other review partner to play with, and even that felt much more fun compared to playing alone. There are four different classes to pick from, and each has specific abilities and roles within the team.

All the classes feel balanced and equally important in missions. But what’s important is communication, because resources like ammo, medkits, and scrap are limited, meaning you’ll have to coordinate with your friends. And trust me, there will be moments when things spiral out of control in the most entertaining way possible.

Explorable Missions Full of Danger and Loot

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

One of the more interesting aspects of Toxic Commando to me is the way missions work. Each mission has a specific premise, and it drops the player into a small map with different objectives based on the story.

The nature of this “open world” gives us the freedom to decide how to approach objectives. Sometimes the quickest path to the main objective isn’t the best one. Some of the resources in the map are crucial to complete certain parts of the missions, especially in harder difficulties.

The Vehicles Fit the Chaos Perfectly

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

The cars in Toxic Commando are easily a standout part of the game. You won’t always start with one, but if your team finds a car, truck, or armored vehicle, it can completely change how you move through the map.

Some vehicles have a machine gun on the back, which your teammates can use to mow down enemies as you drive past. Each Vehicle also has a unique feature/ability. The Ambulance, for example, has an ability that can heal all passengers.

It’s chaotic in the best possible way because the vehicles also interact with the environment. You can get stuck in the mud on wet roads, and on some, your car won’t have the juice to drive up a hill, and you’ll have to use a winch to pull yourself up.

It’s not the most polished feature, but it led to plenty of memorable moments in my playthrough.

There Are a LOT of Guns to Choose From

Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Of course, it wouldn’t be a zombie shooter without guns, and the core shooting mechanics feel solid. The weapons feel good to use, and blasting through zombies is very fun at all stages.

What’s even better is the sheer variety of options. There are 20 guns divided between rifles, handguns, snipers, SMGs, and shotguns. Then there are six special weapons that you can only find by opening crates in missions.

Personally, I like to get up close and personal with zombies sometimes. And there are five different melee weapons to pick from for that very purpose. The game has a lot of fun and exaggerated gore, with enemies bursting apart in spectacular fashion during fights.

It’s not subtle, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Final Thoughts: 8/10

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. It focuses entirely on being a chaotic co-op action game, and for the most part, it succeeds. It’s loud, messy, and proudly ridiculous. The B-movie style also works perfectly for the kind of game it is.

Most importantly, it’s a game that shines brightest when played with friends.

Saber Interactive clearly understands what makes this style of game enjoyable. We’ve praised the studio’s Swarm Engine before, and it shines again in this game. The combination of overwhelming hordes, ridiculous firepower, and goofy moments with friends is everything you could ask for in a game like it.

If you’re looking for a zombie game with a serious story and characters, Toxic Commando probably isn’t for you. But if you want to jump into a zombie apocalypse with your friends, and spend an evening laughing while everything explodes around you, Saber Interactive has delivered exactly that.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what a game needs to be.

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