It’s become something of a cliché to compare any four-player co-op zombie survival game as a “Left 4 Dead-like”, but it’s usually impossible to talk about this specific subset of action survival games without recognising its most famous progenitor. With that in mind, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is just like Left 4 Dead, but with more sludge.
Set in a mass quarantine zone, you take on the role of one of four Toxic Commandos, an elite-ish team of mercenaries for hire that take on a simple delivery job that takes them directly into the zombie-filled hills and valleys – one mistake leads to another, and your commandos are left to clean up the mess, destroying hordes of goop-monsters and taking on the Sludge God to regain your freedom.
As far as stories go, “shoot zombies, kill god” isn’t too taxing on the brain; the game does offer short cutscenes and exposition beats within each mission to help pepper the story with intrigue while also putting the action at the forefront. Thankfully, the story also goes to great lengths to give your commandos pseudo-superpowers, giving you access to four class-specific skill trees that can be upgraded with use – though they are designed with multiplayer in mind, thankfully each class also has ample utility in single-player, particularly with the three computer-controlled characters still being present in solo missions.
With the story in place and the characters ready to kick sludge-soaked zombie butts, it’s time to finally delve into the part of the game you will come to spend most of your time in: the loadout menus. With a wide range of customisation, loads of tools and exhaustive skill trees for all four classes available, it can be hard to choose how to kit out your character – much like modern shooters, each weapon has its own prestige level and a number of unlockables that are only available through extended use, while general gear is tied to your personal progress.
At first there doesn’t seem to be much you can do without levelling up, but after a round or two of actual gameplay (we’ll get to that, I promise!) you’ll be able to spend the various different currencies on offer to enhance your loadout in a similar vein to Helldivers II, in which the difficulty of missions you take on can lead to the “better” currencies being accumulated. Largely you’ll be spending your hard-earned dosh on better sights for your favourite weapon or improving the typical locks, stocks and smoking barrels, but there are also mountains of cosmetic upgrades on offer to change the colour of equipment, add charms and give your character a shiny new hat.
“That’s all great,” I hear you say, “but what about the gameplay?” – don’t worry, I’m getting to that right now. As soon as you are blinged out and ready to roll, the mission drops you and the other three commandos (or three NPCs if you choose to play solo) into a large, open area with a few simple objectives, complete with a handy compass and objective markers; thankfully, you’re not expected to traverse this terrifying oil-slicked world on foot, instead being able to utilise one of a number of vehicles available to you, each with their own benefits and drawbacks.
During the tutorial you are given control of a fairly heavy-duty armoured car, an all-terrain vehicle that comes complete with roof-mounted artillery and a winch that can be launched while driving – this cumbersome combat vehicle is a great entry point given its durability but also teaches the player how to repair and maintain their resources, such as fuel and ammunition. In later missions your choice of transport is much broader, from an ambulance that provides ambient healing to the passengers to a police car that alerts all nearby zombies before exploding in a blaze of glory.
You’ll spend a fairly large amount of your time behind the wheel as you traverse each area, but frequent stops to refuel or collect resources are a must, especially if you want to find additional experience for your class, fuel for your car or scrap – the latter of which is an enormous boon for the end of each level. Scrap also gives you the chance to open weapon and tool crates dotted throughout each area; it is also used to fortify the last stand you’ll face in each jaunt into the slimy countryside – this can include turrets, traps and minor defences but requires you to explore every nook and cranny to find the resources needed.
Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for – yes, you can shoot lots of zombies. Yes, it’s very fun. My comparison to Left 4 Dead might seem overused, but the large hordes of zombies, unique mini-bosses and the need for cooperation with your snarky, sarcastic teammates drive everything good about John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando; much like the video game adaptation of World War Z, you shouldn’t go in expecting anything big and bold – it’s a schlocky B-movie plot centred around a fun, often mindless shooter with a side of resource management thrown in for fun.
It’s probably more important to address the elephant in the room: what was John Carpenter’s involvement in the game? It took some time to find the answer, but aside from some original music, his involvement largely seems to be superficial – like the Tom Clancy games, the name itself is based more on the inspiration for the story rather than any actual involvement. To quote Carpenter himself, “I extend my hand, and a check arrives.” (2025 Philadelphia FAN EXPO) – clip taken at 10:18 during a Q&A session).
Without a shadow of a doubt, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is good fun – a short set of repeatable missions are easily enjoyed alone or with friends, but just be prepared to spend more of your time living in the menus – that pink pistol paint won’t buy itself!
