A Trip to the ’80s: My Hands-On Experience with John Carpenter’s ‘Toxic Commando’

In the cinematic world, John Carpenter is a legend, a master of mood and a purveyor of the kind of raw, visceral horror that defined an era. So when it was announced that he would be lending his name and creative input to a new video game, the excitement was palpable. That game is John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, a co-op FPS from developer Saber Interactive that promises to be a love letter to the director’s unique brand of ’80s action-horror. With the game’s official gameplay debut at Gamescom 2025, I finally got to go hands-on with it, and while it may not be a pure horror experience, it is a glorious, over-the-top, zombie-slaying romp that is packed with the kind of energy and style that is pure Carpenter.

A Buddy-Movie Vibe and a River of Sludge

The game’s premise is a perfect fit for a ’80s B-movie: an experimental attempt to harness the power of the Earth’s core goes horribly wrong, unleashing a cosmic entity known as the “Sludge God” and turning the world into a festering, monster-filled wasteland. You are one of four “Toxic Commandos,” a team of highly trained mercenaries (who were all too expensive) hired to clean up the mess. The game is clearly designed for co-op, with a buddy-movie vibe that is immediately apparent. The banter between the characters is witty and the action is fast and frantic. The game is built on Saber’s “Swarm Engine,” the same technology behind the popular World War Z, and it shows. The sheer number of enemies that can appear on screen at once is staggering. There were moments during my playtest where I was completely surrounded by hundreds of sprinting, flesh-hungry zombies, clambering over walls like a reverse waterfall of rotting flesh. It was a chaotic, beautiful, and utterly terrifying sight to behold.

But the game is more than just a simple zombie shooter. It also incorporates a number of unique mechanics that set it apart. The game’s levels are more open-ended than a typical horde shooter, with players free to explore and drive around in a variety of vehicles. This is where the game’s other major influence comes into play: Saber’s own off-road driving simulators like MudRunner. The vehicles handle with a satisfying weight, and navigating them through the sludge-filled terrain adds a unique layer of strategy to the game. You can use your car’s winch to pull down barriers, or you can have a teammate lean out the window and blast enemies as you drive. The game is full of these small details that make it feel like a more personal and immersive experience.

Pure, Unadulterated Fun

While the game may not be a deep, psychological horror experience in the vein of Silent Hill or Alien: Isolation, it is a masterclass in over-the-top action and pure, unadulterated fun. The combat is incredibly satisfying, with weapons that feel powerful and enemies that explode in a visceral, gory spectacle. The developers have clearly spent a lot of time and effort on the game’s “filmic quality,” with a pulsing ’80s-inspired soundtrack and a look that perfectly captures the aesthetic of a classic action film. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s a major part of its charm. It’s a game that is made for you and your friends to turn off your brains and blast some zombies, and on that front, it is a complete and total success.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is slated for a release in early 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For fans of co-op shooters, zombie games, and ’80s horror, it’s a must-have. It’s a game that is not just a tribute to a master of horror but is also a great game in its own right, and for me, that’s the greatest kind of fan service there is.