There is something wonderfully disgusting about John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. From its splattered landscapes and shambling hordes to the gleefully excessive action, Saber Interactive’s co-op shooter has never been particularly interested in subtlety. It wears its love of 1980s action horror proudly, turning every encounter into an excuse for bigger weapons, louder explosions and increasingly unpleasant things to shoot. Cosmetic Pack 2 understands that personality perfectly, although rather than adding another reason to dive into the campaign, it gives existing players another way to look the part while doing so.
The second cosmetic pack is built around the Sludge God aesthetic, and it certainly does not hold back. Mutated character outfits, suitably grotesque headgear, skeletal weapon skins and corrupted vehicle liveries make up the bulk of the package, with a new profile title and icon rounding things off. None of these additions alter the way Toxic Commando plays, which is important to make clear from the outset. This is pure visual customisation, but for players who spend plenty of time blasting through hordes with friends, there is genuine appeal in having a squad that looks as unhinged as the world around them.
Welcome To The Sludge God
The Sludge God has always been one of the more memorable elements of Toxic Commando’s ridiculous horror universe, so using it as the inspiration for a cosmetic collection makes perfect sense. Rather than simply throwing a few new colour schemes into the game and calling it a day, Cosmetic Pack 2 commits to the infected theme. The character skins look as though their wearers have spent far too long standing around in whatever toxic mess has been spreading across the countryside.
The designs have an appropriately unpleasant quality. Mutations, biological corruption and gruesome details give the outfits a sense that something has gone very wrong, while the matching headgear pushes the whole concept even further. These are not particularly restrained designs, but restraint would feel completely out of place here. This is Toxic Commando, after all, and if you are going to dress your character as a servant of a giant sludge-based horror, you may as well go all the way.
Looking Good While Shooting Bad Things
Character customisation is always a tricky proposition in a co-op game. You want cosmetics to be recognisable amid the chaos without becoming so visually noisy that they disappear once the shooting starts. Cosmetic Pack 2 strikes a reasonable balance, with enough distinctive detail to make the outfits noticeable when you get a moment to appreciate them.
That matters more than it might sound. Toxic Commando is a game where four players can be surrounded by an obscene number of enemies, explosions constantly fill the screen, and everyone is desperately trying to stay alive. Your character can easily become just another moving shape in the mayhem. The new outfits give players a little more personality, particularly when grouped together in a lobby or preparing for another run.
There is also something satisfying about putting together a deliberately horrible look. The best cosmetic packs understand that players are not necessarily searching for something pretty. Sometimes they want something ridiculous, intimidating or downright revolting. Cosmetic Pack 2 happily caters to that instinct.
Bones, Bullets And Blood
The skeletal weapon skins are arguably my favourite part of the package. Guns are among the most frequently seen pieces of equipment in Toxic Commando, so weapon cosmetics can make a much greater visual impression than an outfit that might be obscured during a frantic firefight.
The bone-themed designs fit the Sludge God concept surprisingly well. They give the firearms an appropriately sinister appearance without making them seem completely detached from the game’s action-movie identity. There is still something recognisably chunky and practical about the weapons, but now they have been dragged through a supernatural bone yard before being handed to you.
Then there is the little red blood charm, which provides exactly the sort of finishing touch you would expect. It is an entirely unnecessary detail, which is precisely why it works. It adds another tiny bit of personality to the weapon and reinforces the idea that this cosmetic pack is not interested in keeping things clean.
Take The Sludge On The Road
The corrupted vehicle skins are another welcome addition, particularly because vehicles play such an important role in the game’s chaotic journeys. The new wraps cover the off-road rides in Sludge God-inspired designs featuring grotesque faces, graffiti and other suitably grimy details.
There is a playful quality to these liveries that suits the tone of Toxic Commando. They do not simply try to make the vehicles look terrifying. Instead, they feel like something a group of deranged survivors might have painted onto their transport after spending far too long fighting mutant hordes. The combination of graffiti and grotesque imagery gives them a scrappy personality that fits the game’s 1980s-inspired action-horror style.
The custom horn is perhaps the most amusing addition. It does not change anything meaningful about the gameplay, but hearing that obnoxious new sound echo across the countryside while your squad is trying to escape is exactly the kind of silly touch that can make a cosmetic item memorable. Sometimes the smallest additions are the ones that generate the biggest laughs when playing with friends.
A Cosmetic Pack That Knows Its Audience
The biggest strength of Cosmetic Pack 2 is that it understands what Toxic Commando is supposed to be. This is not a serious military shooter attempting to recreate a grim vision of modern warfare. It is loud, colourful, gory and knowingly ridiculous, with one foot planted firmly in the world of 1980s action cinema and the other in splattery horror.
That means the pack never feels like it is trying to introduce an entirely different visual identity. Everything belongs within the existing universe. The mutated characters, skeletal weapons and corrupted vehicles all look like natural extensions of the game’s aesthetic rather than cosmetics designed in isolation.
It is also worth remembering that this is a cosmetic-only release. There are no new weapons to master, no additional abilities and no gameplay systems hidden behind the purchase. For players looking for new content to play through, this obviously means there is little reason to rush out and buy it. For those already invested in Toxic Commando, however, the appeal is considerably easier to understand.
The Little Details Matter
Cosmetic packs live or die by presentation, and the visual quality here is solid. The infected character designs have enough texture and detail to look convincing up close, while the weapon skins make good use of the skeletal theme. Corruption, biological nastiness and weathered surfaces all help the designs feel suitably embedded in the game’s world.
The vehicle cosmetics benefit from the same attention. During a normal mission, you may only get fleeting glimpses of your ride before the action takes over, but when the opportunity arises to admire it, the Sludge God designs have enough character to stand out.
The new horn sound effect deserves another mention because it captures the tone particularly well. It is silly, irritating and completely unnecessary, which makes it almost perfect for this game. It is the sort of thing that will probably earn a laugh the first few times you use it, followed by increasingly suspicious looks from your squad when you refuse to stop pressing it.
Is It Worth Adding To Your Arsenal?
The answer depends almost entirely on what you want from Toxic Commando. If you are expecting a substantial expansion packed with new missions, enemies or gameplay mechanics, Cosmetic Pack 2 is unlikely to satisfy that appetite. It is a collection of visual extras, and its value lies in how much you enjoy personalising your commando rather than in extending the underlying game.
For regular players, though, there is plenty here to enjoy. The Sludge God theme is cohesive, the designs fit the existing world, and there is enough variety across characters, weapons and vehicles to give the pack a sense of completeness. It also works particularly well for players who spend most of their time in co-op, where showing off ridiculous outfits and vehicles becomes part of the fun.
The fact that the pack is included with the Bloody Pass and Deluxe Blood Edition also makes it an easier proposition for players who already own those packages. For everyone else, the decision comes down to how much they care about cosmetics. There is no gameplay advantage to be gained, but there is plenty of style on offer.
The Verdict
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando: Cosmetic Pack 2 is not pretending to be anything it isn’t. This is a cosmetic collection built around a single, very specific idea, and thankfully Saber Interactive sticks to it rather than padding the package with unrelated designs. The mutated outfits are suitably grotesque, the skeletal weapons look great, the corrupted vehicles have plenty of personality, and the ridiculous new horn provides exactly the sort of comic touch the game thrives on.
It will never be essential content because it does not add anything to the gameplay, but that is not really the point. For players who enjoy making their commando look as deranged as the enemies they are slaughtering, this is a colourful and suitably revolting addition. It captures the game’s exaggerated horror aesthetic beautifully and gives regular players another excuse to jump into a few missions with friends.
Ultimately, Cosmetic Pack 2 succeeds because it has personality. It understands that Toxic Commando is at its best when it is excessive, messy and just a little bit stupid. Dressing your squad in mutant gear, covering your guns with bones and driving around in a Sludge God-branded vehicle will not make you a better commando, but it might make you a considerably more entertaining one.
