John Carpenter, renowned for cult classics such as “Halloween,” “The Thing,” and “Escape From New York,” is also a passionate video game enthusiast. While Toxic Commando carries his name, the primary development and publishing credit belongs to Saber Interactive. Nevertheless, a first look at this post-apocalyptic co-op first-person shooter at Gamescom 2025 clearly reveals Carpenter`s distinct influence, suggesting it`s more than a mere marketing gimmick.
Tim Willits, Saber`s chief creative officer, explained their goal was to capture the essence of `80s horror and exaggerated action films, citing “Big Trouble in Little China” as an inspiration. Carpenter enthusiastically joined the project, offering input on concepts and guiding the narrative direction.
Carpenter`s involvement is primarily consultative, though he`s also taken a more direct role in certain aspects. Notably, he`s contributed music to the game, drawing on his experience composing iconic themes for his own films.
The game`s narrative, involving a corporation inadvertently unleashing an evil entity (the “Sludge God”) while pursuing an infinite power source, resonates strongly with the kind of B-movie themes Carpenter explored in his heyday, despite not directly referencing his previous works.
During our four-player preview, the emphasis was on gameplay over story. Willits suggested that players interested in the lore could explore the comic book prequels created by Saber in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics.
Willits noted that the “fun and quirky” story doesn`t impede the action. Players seeking deeper immersion can play solo with AI teammates, allowing for a better appreciation of the unique dialogue among the commandos: the laid-back Walter, the nihilistic Ruby, the empathetic Cato, and the natural leader Astrid, all based on small-screen actors with in-game likenesses.
Unique Gameplay Mechanics: Beyond the Standard FPS
While players cannot choose identical characters, there are no rigid class roles akin to hero shooters. Each player customizes their loadout and class, which primarily involves mutant abilities granted by a chest-mounted device that wards off the Sludge God`s infection. These abilities often manifest as area-of-effect boosts for defense or offense, crucial for combating undead hordes. The game allows for flexible team compositions, even permitting an entire party to select support classes.
Although the game`s co-op zombie-blasting nature invites comparisons to “Left 4 Dead,” our demo mission evoked “Halo,” a franchise Saber has experience with (having remastered an anniversary edition). The expansive sandbox maps, filled with optional exploration points, also feature randomized vehicles like pickup trucks, ambulances, or armored cars with gun turrets. This vehicle system offers a similar sense of chaotic fun to “Halo`s” Warthog, allowing for varied traversal and combat.
Vehicle usage comes with strategic considerations: fuel is required, turrets have limited ammunition, and terrain affects vehicle performance. Toxic Commando leverages Saber`s expertise from off-road sims like “Mudrunner” and “Snowrunner,” offering realistic vehicle physics and capabilities. Armored vehicles, particularly versatile, also feature a useful winch for clearing obstacles.
The Power of the Swarm Engine
The game`s technical highlight is Saber`s proprietary Swarm Engine. Willits confirmed that this engine, previously responsible for the massive zombie hordes in “World War Z” and Tyranid swarms in “Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2,” has been significantly enhanced for Toxic Commando.
Willits detailed that Toxic Commando features larger environments than “World War Z,” allowing zombie swarms to attack from multiple directions. The game also introduces a greater variety of “super creatures” and special monsters. Mirroring the progression systems of “World War Z” and “Space Marine 2,” players can upgrade abilities, loadouts, and passive skills across different classes.
This constant enemy presence guarantees a dynamic experience. Even when deviating from objectives, such as destroying tendril nodes to reach a church, the Swarm Engine actively populates the map with foes, ensuring continuous combat, loot acquisition, and resource gathering.
The relentless hordes can become intensely challenging. A mission finale, involving defending a church from an all-directional undead siege, highlighted this difficulty. Willits considers Toxic Commando one of the studio`s toughest games in years, attributing the dynamic intensity to the Swarm Engine`s AI director. This system constantly adjusts difficulty, aiming to create moments where players feel overwhelmed before narrowly triumphing.
He clarified that the AI director monitors player engagement and dynamically balances difficulty, crafting those thrilling moments where survival seems impossible, only to be achieved at the very last second.
John Carpenter`s Toxic Commando will soon be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.