Toxikk
- September 10, 2016
- Reakktor Studios
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Toxikk is a Sci-Fi shooter game with smooth gameplay, impressive visuals, and a great soundtrack, reminiscent of 90's FPS classics. Enjoy 2-player co-op, single-player, or multiplayer matches, with no competitive disadvantages for the free version. Experience all maps by earning XP and unlocking them, with a thriving community on Discord to answer any questions."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of classic arena shooters like Unreal Tournament and Quake.
- Beautiful graphics and smooth controls, providing an enjoyable experience.
- No microtransactions or pay-to-win mechanics, focusing purely on skill-based gameplay.
- Very low player base, making it difficult to find online matches.
- Limited content with only a few maps and game modes available.
- Some weapon balance issues, particularly with the rocket launcher being overpowered.
- graphics151 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their high quality and modern aesthetic, often compared favorably to classic titles like Unreal Tournament and Quake. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals, smooth performance, and well-designed maps, noting that the graphics enhance the fast-paced gameplay experience. While some mention minor texture issues and the potential for glare to hinder gameplay, the overall consensus is that the graphics are impressive and contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The graphics are gorgeous, sound design is good, the maps are varied and well designed (for the most part), and all your favorite arena FPS modes are in there.”
“The graphics are phenomenal for a game like this.”
“This game does not look like an indie early access game, it looks like a AAA, graphically finished game.”
“This game's graphics serve more to hinder player skill by having too much glare, too much detail (even on the lowest graphics settings) and not enough distinction between the pickup items.”
“It's just a really lame shooter that plays like a single developer took an old shooter engine and combined it with the recycled graphics from some previously failed game to make this.”
“Visuals are not good enough to draw you in despite unoriginal gameplay.”
- gameplay142 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this arena shooter is widely praised for its fast-paced, nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Unreal Tournament and Quake, featuring smooth mechanics, intuitive controls, and a focus on individual skill without modern distractions like microtransactions or class systems. While the core gameplay is solid and engaging, some players note issues with server population and limited content, which may affect long-term enjoyment. Overall, it captures the essence of old-school FPS games while offering modern graphics and enjoyable mechanics.
“Just an arena and a bunch of guns, no character classes, no ultimates, just nice punchy guns, solid movement, and classic gameplay.”
“This game captures that chaos wonderfully, with a really great feeling of movement and momentum, fun weapons, great maps, and visceral gameplay.”
“Toxikk strives to stray from the other modern shooters, in fact, it seeks to bring back the arena style gameplay from the late 90's and early 2000's by eliminating the reloading system, the health regaining, and the leveling systems.”
“Gameplay feels stale, and not in a nostalgic way.”
“It's difficult to compete with established arena shooters, especially when the ideas and gameplay aren't exactly original.”
“The gameplay is solid, even at early access, but with very few low-latency servers, the gameplay doesn't seem prone to any performance issues.”
- optimization35 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game receives mixed feedback from users. While many praise its smooth performance, great graphics, and overall solid optimization, others report persistent performance issues, particularly on certain maps and with specific settings. Overall, the game is generally considered well-optimized, especially for mid-tier systems, but some players recommend adjusting graphics settings to avoid lag.
“Everything is well optimized and the controls are satisfying.”
“This game is incredibly well optimized, fast paced and very addicting!”
“Performance is flawless!”
“Performance is under par, again, pathetic.”
“It also had a lot of performance issues back then, and I really didn't want to, but I requested and got a refund...”
“Other things that can be a little bit arsey with the game is the likes of its optimization and support for other platforms such as Mac & Linux, but apart from that...”
- music23 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the exhilarating battle soundtracks and the nostalgic rock/electro vibes reminiscent of the 90s. While some users find the soundtrack engaging and fitting for the gameplay, others note that the menu music is repetitive and lacks variety. Overall, the in-game music enhances the experience, though there are suggestions for improvement in certain areas.
“The action gets very intense and I love how the game's music changes based on where you stand during battle.”
“The weapons are insane and the music in the game is incredible.”
“Fast paced, beautiful graphic design, exhilarating battle soundtrack, really easy to pick up & play, and an unlimited free version with no microtransactions.”
“Even the music has that dirty shoot 'em up feel of the 90's.”
“Oh and also they stole content from other games (the intro songs are from other game titles or Skrillex remixes, not kidding).”
“Menu music is horrible and very repetitive; it would be nice for it to have some variation, maybe an ambient part in the music, but the style is good though.”
- monetization19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its complete lack of microtransactions, offering a truly free-to-play experience without additional costs or pay-to-win elements. Players appreciate the absence of ads and DLCs, highlighting that all maps are accessible to everyone, which is increasingly rare in modern gaming. However, there are concerns about the game's visibility and advertising strategies, as many feel it could benefit from better promotion to attract more players.
“Even if you aren't willing to buy the game, just play it because it's truly free to play, as in you don't have microtransactions, special DLCs, and now they've even made all maps available to everyone, and this is rare enough these days.”
“Fast-paced, beautiful graphic design, exhilarating battle soundtrack, really easy to pick up & play, and an unlimited free version with no microtransactions.”
“If this game was free to play, great, but you stated no plans for that as you don't want many microtransactions. I get that, but there isn't a need to charge $19.99 for a game not worth $5, and there is no denial.”
“The devs have been pretty straightforward about their resentment toward free-to-play games and microtransactions.”
“No microtransactions in this game (as of 2/18/2015) and there aren't any 'pay to win' aspects that I've seen at all.”
- story15 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and primarily revolves around a conflict between two corporations, Drayos and Exocom, vying for global dominance, with a focus on fast-paced gameplay rather than narrative depth. Players express a desire for more substantial storytelling elements, such as quests or backstory, to enhance the experience, especially when offline. Overall, the lack of a compelling narrative detracts from the game's potential enjoyment for those seeking a richer context.
“The story goes like this: Drayos and Exocom are two giant companies battling for global domination.”
“This game is not bad because the bots are not content driven. I am a player who, if I can't play online, would want some story here and there, maybe a quest of some sort or just level-based stuff, maybe even backstory for why this game is blue vs. red (TF2) and why this game doesn't have a wave mode.”
“Not sure if there will be a storyline at some point.”
“This game is not bad because the bots are not content driven. I am a player who, if I can't play online, would want some story here and there, maybe a quest of some sort or just level-based stuff, maybe even backstory for God's sake as to why this game is blue vs red (TF2) and why this game doesn't have a wave mode.”
“Blue cabbages and red melons kill each other with rocket launchers; that's important to the story, I think.”
- stability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report a smooth experience with minimal bugs and crashes, some users have encountered issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. Despite being in early access, several reviews highlight the game's solid performance and lack of significant glitches, though a few players still experience occasional freezing and bugs.
“The game looks beautiful, runs great, and the AI is top-notch, sometimes even placing among real players.”
“There are no glitches.”
“It's very easy to control them, and from what I've seen, they're not buggy.”
“But this game is amazing as it is, but those bugs need killing. Nobody likes a buggy game that crashes and forces you to have to ctrl, alt, esc all the time :(”
“I really really really really really really really really really wanted this game to be better than UT4, but it is still a bit buggy, and UT4 is free and runs on a newer engine.”
“However, this may just be my problem, but whenever I go to multiplayer, it freezes.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over the excessive grind required to progress. While the game features enjoyable mechanics and visuals, the overwhelming grind and networking issues detract from the overall experience, leading to a lack of motivation to continue playing. Some long for a return to more skill-based gameplay rather than the current grind-heavy model.
“It's incredibly fun with surprisingly high quality visuals, decent weapons, and solid mechanics, but the plethora of networking issues, an obtuse menu system, and a minimal amount of (incredibly grindy) content has given players little reason to stick around and very few reasons to come back.”
“FPS games keep getting more and more grindy and less skill-based.”
“Long story short, devs, you know what you need to do. I really want to play this game, but at its current state, it's almost impossible for me—boring and tedious.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional response to the game, with some feeling deeply moved to tears, while others experience a mix of joy and frustration. The game's competitive nature can evoke feelings of inadequacy, highlighting the emotional rollercoaster it provides. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, resonating with players on multiple levels.
“19/99 would cry again.”
“This made me cry like an anime fan on prom night.”
“When I played this, I was amazed at how fun the game was, but I was also soul crushed because everyone was so good at the game that it made me feel like I didn't deserve to play it.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as outrageous and extremely funny, appealing particularly to fans of 90's shooters. Players find the comedic elements, including a hilariously bad name, to enhance the overall enjoyment, making it a surprisingly good experience despite being in early access.
“It is outrageous, but also kind of funny.”
“Extremely funny!!”
“Hilariously bad name, surprisingly good game; itzxxtoxikk420xx is fast-paced and a decent amount of fun for being something in early access.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Toxikk is heavily influenced by classic titles like Perfect Dark and Timesplitters, featuring a cyberpunk aesthetic that is well-executed in terms of texture and lighting. However, some players feel that the game's reliance on a simpler, cleaner design reminiscent of UT3 may detract from its vibrancy, particularly in the choice of maps. Overall, while the initial map showcases strong atmospheric elements, there is hope for more diverse and colorful environments in future updates.
“Toxikk reminds me of Perfect Dark and Timesplitters with all of its cyberpunk atmosphere and weapons.”
“The one map that there is looks extremely good in terms of texture, lighting, and atmosphere, and I'm hoping for this kind of consistent solid work from the devs on upcoming maps.”
“Toxikk seems to capture the atmosphere of UT3, which can feel a bit strange given how simple and clean arena shooters are meant to look. They certainly could have chosen a more vibrant map to showcase the game than the one in Hong Kong, which can feel very much like Shangri-La from UT3.”
“Toxikk seems to copy the atmosphere of UT3, which can feel kind of weird with how simple and clean arena shooters are meant to look. More of an opinion, but they certainly could have picked a more vibrant map to showcase the game than the one in Hong Kong, which can feel very much like Shangri-La from UT3.”
“The atmosphere in Toxikk lacks the depth and immersion that I was hoping for, making the experience feel flat and uninspired.”
“While Toxikk has some interesting elements, the overall atmosphere feels disjointed and fails to create a compelling environment for players.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong single-player experience with bots as a key factor contributing to its high replayability, indicating that it feels complete and self-contained. Overall, it has received a perfect score of 10/10 for replayability.
“The fact that, in addition to the game’s other virtues, there’s a solid single-player experience with bots says to me that this game is self-contained, complete, and has high replayability.”
“Replayability - 10/10”
