This one made me sit up during gamescom’s Opening Night Live. Saber Interactive announcing John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando sounded like the weird kind of mashup I didn’t know I needed: four-player co-op FPS, off-road driving, and a big slathering of over-the-top ’80s horror cheese-all with John Carpenter’s blessing. It’s rare to see something that goes this hard into horror movie nostalgia and actually backs it up with mechanics we don’t see every week. But of course, there’s a danger: “Inspired by ’80s action horror” is an easy thing to say and a harder thing to land in a real game.
First off, the biggest hook: Toxic Commando isn’t just about shooting-it’s about mixing frenetic monster blasting with off-road, squad-based driving. I don’t remember the last co-op FPS where coordinating who drove while others laid waste from an armored car actually mattered. Saber is promising “visceral” action and “buddy-movie vibes” in equal measure, and, honestly, that’s a breath of fresh air in a market where most Left 4 Dead-likes just reskin the same formula with new monsters.
The world and enemy design are unashamedly B-movie: you’re fighting off the “Sludge God” and its abominations after some sci-fi experiment predictably goes wrong. You’re not a ragtag team of heroes-you’re literally the screwups your mad-scientist boss could afford. It’s a goofy justification, but it matches what the best ’80s horror-comedies delivered: fun over logic, personality over plot. Carpenter’s name attached isn’t just a marketing gimmick, either; even his old-school synths and absurdist humor shine through in the tiny bits of in-game dialogue we’ve seen so far.
Saber Interactive’s Swarm Engine isn’t new—they used it for World War Z: Aftermath and the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. We’re talking hundreds of monsters on screen, crawling and surging out of every corner. This tech already proved itself when it comes to that “oh crap” feeling as a tidal wave of enemies crashes toward you. So Toxic Commando has the muscle to deliver those OTT horde battles, but I’m hoping Saber avoids the pitfall of repetition. If it ends up as just a zombie shooting gallery with some car rides sprinkled in, that’s a wasted opportunity.
My other concern? Balance. Horde shooters can get old fast if your tools don’t evolve or if “strategic” play boils down to kiting mobs in circles between insta-respawn ammo crates. The promise here is a robust upgrade system for both guns and vehicles, and apparently different class-based abilities too. If Saber has learned anything from Back 4 Blood’s mixed reception, it’s that variety and replayability make or break these games.
Look, the co-op shooter market is brutal right now. For every L4D or Deep Rock Galactic, we get a dozen forgettable attempts that fill matchmaking lobbies for two weeks and then vanish. The core premise of Toxic Commando—a blend of arcadey driving, character abilities, upgradable kit, and pure, goofy horror action—at least tries to mix things up. The crossplay promise is real smart, too, if only to keep the playerbase healthy post-launch.
I appreciate Saber and Focus Entertainment leaning into actual humor and cheese rather than forced “edgy” dialogue. If Toxic Commando commits to outrageous weapons, OTT synthwave, and enough unpredictable set-pieces (give me boss monsters that aren’t just bullet sponges!), it could leave a mark. However, I’ll need to see more than just a high-energy trailer—actual mission variety, meaningful class differences, and mechanical depth will be what matters come 2026.
Toxic Commando has the personality and pedigree to rise above the generic co-op horde shooter pack, especially if Saber nails the blend of off-road chaos and schlocky horror action. With John Carpenter involved and Saber’s proven Swarm Engine, we’ve got reasons to be excited—but I’m watching closely to see if it delivers more than surface-level nostalgia when the action gets going in 2026.
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