Remember when co‑op shooters felt like events you planned your weekend around?
Key Takeaways
- John Carpenter’s Toxic: Commando launches tomorrow (March 10) as a love letter to 90s run‑and‑gun excess: four commandos blasting interdimensional mutants across alien worlds with weapons like the Toxic Eliminator and Plasma Drill, all narrated by Carpenter himself in full B‑movie glory.
- PS5, Xbox Series: X|S, PC (March 10 worldwide; March 11 AU/NZ)—RRP $59.95 AUD (digital ~$63; check pre‑order sales), no subscriptions needed.
- It’s the kind: of dumb, joyful horde shooter that thrives on “one more wave” sessions, landing right when March needs a multiplayer breather between Crimson Desert and Pokémon Pokopia.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando launches tomorrow (March 10) as a love letter to 90s run‑and‑gun excess: four commandos blasting interdimensional mutants across alien worlds with weapons like the Toxic Eliminator and Plasma Drill, all narrated by Carpenter himself in full B‑movie glory.
PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (March 10 worldwide; March 11 AU/NZ)—RRP $59.95 AUD (digital ~$63; check pre‑order sales), no subscriptions needed.
It’s the kind of dumb, joyful horde shooter that thrives on “one more wave” sessions, landing right when March needs a multiplayer breather between Crimson Desert and Pokémon Pokopia.
Why Carpenter fans will love it
John Carpenter—the mastermind behind The Thing, Escape from New York, and They Live—brings his signature gritty, mutant‑infested aesthetic to Toxic Commando, with narration that feels ripped straight from his classic films.
Previews praise how it captures that same “ragtag survivors vs otherworldly horror” energy from The Thing, but swaps Antarctic isolation for chaotic 4‑player firefights and over‑the‑top weapons like chain‑exploding grenades and mutant‑melting goo guns.
For anyone who grew up loving Escape from New York or geeking out over The Thing’s practical effects, this is Carpenter’s first video game IP—a horde shooter that doesn’t pretend to be anything but pure 90s excess.
March 10 co‑op central
March 10 suddenly looks like co‑op central: Ghost of Yōtei Legends drops the same day for samurai squads, Toxic Commando gives you mutant‑busting backup with zero story commitment.
The weapon sandbox alone is worth the download—20+ guns that encourage wild experimentation, from plasma drills to homing toxic blobs, all in local or online 4‑player.
It’s not live‑service busywork; it’s the “grab three friends, clear the level” antidote to March’s solo epics.
Quick breakdown
| Feature | What it is | Why it hooks |
|---|---|---|
| Horde Mode | Waves across 15 mutant worlds | “One more wave” forever |
| Weapons | 20+ absurd arsenals (goo, chains, plasma) | Sandbox chaos |
| Co‑Op | Local + online 4‑player | Squad hilarity |
| Carpenter | Narration from The Thing director | Instant cult cred |
Fire it up tomorrow
If Legends has you craving more group gaming tomorrow, Toxic Commando is the mutant‑busting follow‑up—no grind, just Carpenter‑flavored carnage.
Who’s your squad for the first mutant wave?
