Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       Artifact is a custom map converted to Sven from Team Fortress Classic. It's a hard as nails platforming map that has me questioning if there is an important change in player movement across games that makes the map harder than it should be. SCMapDB page Original map author: Kami Conversion authors: AdamR Date of original mod release: 2003 Date of final Sven Map release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Artifact (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | July 24, 2022 | 4815 characters      Artifact is a map that, much like the hidden temples in Indiana Jones, hides peril lurking beneath great beauty. The foliage, the textures for the stone reliefs, the models for the key objects, the waterfalls and giant trees- they all look fantastic. But within, trap brushes swiftly kill players and require hard jumps back to spawn and the backtracking that comes with that.      Let me just be up front: I didn't beat a single o...

      Artifact is a custom map converted to Sven from Team Fortress Classic. It's a hard as nails platforming map that has me questioning if there is an important change in player movement across games that makes the map harder than it should be. SCMapDB page Original map author: Kami Conversion authors: AdamR Date of original mod release: 2003 Date of final Sven Map release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Artifact (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | July 24, 2022 | 8431 characters      I feel like every part of this map is engineered to be the most absolute bullshit. This is one of those maps where five minutes into playing it I look at the time limit, see that we have 70 minutes left, and think to myself "we're not going to beat this". My teammate and I used noclip the entire map, there was not one section that we did not cheat to get through. This map was originally made for Team Fortress Classic, I have to think to myself, is t...

       This map is not a sequel. There is another map just called 'army' that has nothing to do with this map, I think the '4' refers to the version number. The map uses default textures and is one long hallway. SCMapDB page Author: Wildcat Date of final release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army 4 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 24, 2022 | 4589 characters      Army 4 is a walkthrough map of impressive length and unimpressive mostly everything else. For much of the map you are pitted against soldiers, though at times it throws in aliens where convenient. Players subvert these enemies by shooting them with the lots of guns the map gives them. Players can dominate simple corridor-style open battlefields with convenient concrete walls with ease. Tanks are no match for players as they chuck grenades and counter-strike the tanks' supporting black ops snipers. Even shock troopers, dropped from the air as though conjured by the...

      This map is not a sequel. There is another map just called 'army' that has nothing to do with this map, I think the '4' refers to the version number. The map uses default textures and is one long hallway. SCMapDB page Author: Wildcat Date of final release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army 4 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 24, 2022 | 4116 characters      Army 4 is a boxy walkthrough map. The map consists of long hallways with simple, boxy architecture and enemies spawn in clumps as players proceed through the level. There was also a a point where we had to cheat to progress.      The map stats off with players at one end of a long outdoor cliff hallway, with grenades and mp5s. For some reason the mp5 has the m16 model so it can throw off veteran Sven players. the uzi has the mp5 model, its all very confusing. Enemies spawn in clumps right in front of the player, they seem to be positioned to get one or two...

       This map only has one room, or two if you count unreachable rooms, with a giant pyramid and a bunch of weapons and ammo scattered around. The only enemies are zombies that fall out of the sky forever. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Red Pyramide (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 21, 2022 | 2455 characters      Robootto does it again. red-pyramide is a baffling experiential digital space. Players may arm themselves as they find themselves encased with a red pyramid(e?) within a large silo of some sort, shallow liquid permeating the featureless base of it. A suspended walkway surrounds the very tip of the pyramid(e?) and extend bridges to meet in a circle around said tip. Up above, a shaft to the outside world directly above the pyramid(e?)'s tip drops freshly spawned zombies down into the tip. Players can use weapons from the surrounding area to combat these zombies i...

      This map only has one room, or two if you count unreachable rooms, with a giant pyramid and a bunch of weapons and ammo scattered around. The only enemies are zombies that fall out of the sky forever. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Red Pyramide (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 21, 2022 | 2335 characters      There is a red pyramid. Like many of the author's (the author is Robootto) other maps this one is avant garde, strange, and somewhat poorly put together. It has an area that players can't reach, clashing textures not meant to be on walls, and true to the map description there is an unsettling sound playing in the background at all times.      The map layout itself is a large room dominated by a red pyramid in the middle. Players spawn on top of a walkway that goes around the perimeter of the room and has a bridge in the middle to a platform on top of th...

       The second map of Ascii Art is not quite a sequel and not quite a remake. The whole gameplay flow has been changed and a new area has been added, not to mention the whole map is now at night. SCMapDB page Author: enuze Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Ascii Art 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 21, 2022 | 3539 characters      Ascii Art 2 is a map in Japanese that I cannot understand. However, with some patience, I *can* beat it.      Ascii Art 1 was a charming map marred by a pretty unfun gameplay loop. Ascii Art 2 is a map that I also think is very charming and has a pretty unfun gameplay lop for totally different reasons. However, I do think this is an improvement and with lots of players the problems I have with this map really would melt away. Let's discuss.      First off, if you liked the style of Ascii Art 1, you'll really like the style of Ascii Art 2. Basic...

      The second map of Ascii Art is not quite a sequel and not quite a remake. The whole gameplay flow has been changed and a new area has been added, not to mention the whole map is now at night. SCMapDB page Author: enuze Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Ascii Art 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 21, 2022 | 3147 characters      This map is a lot like the first, the description says it is a nighttime version but that is not the whole truth. A lot of the map is the same architecture, but the spawn point and sequence of events is all different plus there is a new area and some new enemies. The terrible elevator is still there but now players have to deal with it at the end of the map and it is a lot more palatable now. But hey, there is only one elevator instead of two! That's big progress!      Players start in underground cells, this was about halfway through the first map. There are uboa z...

       The follow up to Svencoop 1, the sequel continues showing off things that can be done with Sven maps. Be warned, the map can be rendered unwinnable if you aren't paying attention. SCMapDB page Author: Sven Viking Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Svencoop 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 17, 2022 | 9968 characters      200 map special wooooo      Sven Coop 2 is the continuation of Sven Coop. It's a mostly linear walkthrough map with a couple puzzles, some combat, a crazy action setpiece at the end, and some wacky design decisions. Here I'll discuss them.      So, what is Sven Coop 2 trying to do with its design? I think it's trying to experiment- show interesting things that can be done in Sven Coop and spur creativity. Design is problem solving, and Sven Coop seeks very much to solve the problem of "How do we broaden what coop gameplay can be when applied to Half-L...

      The follow up to Svencoop 1, the sequel continues showing off things that can be done with Sven maps. Be warned, the map can be rendered unwinnable if you aren't paying attention. SCMapDB page Author: Sven Viking Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Svencoop 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 17, 2022 | 7913 characters      I couldn't really give an honest review of the first map in this series. It was really a demonstration and a bar setter for the rest of the maps for Sven Co-op. To be honest, I didn't much like it, but I'm spoiled with over 20 years of not only improved mapping resources but also fewer limits and more functionality of the engine. Svencoop2 comes right on the heels of the first map, just one year later. It keeps on demonstrating gameplay mechanics and has very fun cutscenes but it definitely wears on me a lot more than the first game.      The map starts off where the last ...

       ASCII refers to the American Standard Code for Imformation Interchange, a system that supports text on digital platforms. The entire map is textured in white with black text. SCMapDB page Author: enuze Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Ascii Art (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 16, 2022 | 3329 characters      Ascii Art is a map in Japanese that I cannot understand. However, with some patience, I *can* beat it.      Ascii Art is a map that I presume is full of humorous content, but unfortunately for myself the humor is meant for another culture altogether. I'm sure it's very funny in the appropriate context, but I cannot say anything about the textual jokes or contextual humor. What I can say is that the map has a very stylish monochromatic style and very fun cartoony characters. The environment is very charmingly crafted around representing an ascii world in a way that isn't in...

       ASCII refers to the American Standard Code for Imformation Interchange, a system that supports text on digital platforms. The entire map is textured in white with black text. SCMapDB page Author: enuze Date of final release: 2008 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Ascii Art (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 16, 2022 | 4369 characters      I remember playing this map way back in the day, probably in 2008 when it came out. I remember riding the longest elevator of my life with two of my buddies. One of them jumps on my head and due to a quirk in the engine I immediately explode followed by me rage quitting because there was no way I was riding the elevator again. Well I've played it again all these years later and that elevator ride has not improved in the slightest.      So ascii art is a map made out of ascii art. For those who don't know what ascii art is, ascii is a character encoding standard, which is fancy t...

       The map name doesn't seem to really describe what is going on in the map. There is a very small and simple maze, followed by a large area with shipping containers, female assassins are everywhere. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 16, 2022 | 1483 characters      Army is a a clearly very early map from a mapper who would go on to be quite prolific. Follow corridors to a cargo hold, fighting female assassins throughout using an assortment of weapons (just use the exploding crossbow bolts- it's the best). Once they're all dead there's nothing else to do other than climb a ladder to traverse a tiny strip of brush above the cargo hold.      For how unfinished the map is, it plays fine. Taking an arsenal to corridors full of ninjas doesn't get old fast, especially if you've got a good HEV charge on you. The environments, whil...

      The map name doesn't seem to really describe what is going on in the map. There is a very small and simple maze, followed by a large area with shipping containers, female assassins are everywhere. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 16, 2022 | 1423 characters      The army that the title of this map refers to is an army of female assassins. The map itself has two parts, a small complex of hallways filled with female assassins with some supplies, and a large open warehouse area also filled with female assassins but without supplies. The spawn area has shotguns, grenades, and a crossbow. It should be noted the the crossbow does have the explosive bolts and that there is no flashlight. After killing all the female assassins (I must say, gibbing an assassin with a direct hit from the explosive bolt crossbow is wonderful) we climbed up to a windy r...

       Well it looks like you ran out of gas inside of a computer. Fight off waves of enemies and survive. SCMapDB page Author: El_Zurdo Date of final release: 2018 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Arena Synthwave (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 16, 2022 | 3445 characters      Arena Synthwave is a map with exceeding output for such low ambition. Fight your way through respawning baby gargs and a handful of enemies in wacky synthwavey displacement-like terrain that's hard to climb with a cute car in the middle where you spawn. On paper it sounds like nonsense, but I promise in practice it's a lot of fun.      At the beginning, players are faced with respawning baby gargs and one garg while the players are equipped with only an uzi and sit at the bottom of a geometric terrain bowl of sorts. Ascending the sides to the cusp of this bowl is a bit of a chore at first, but it's something you get used to over time. Once yo...

      Well it looks like you ran out of gas inside of a computer. Fight off waves of enemies and survive. SCMapDB page Author: El_Zurdo Date of final release: 2018 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Arena Synthwave (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 16, 2022 | 2777 characters      Arena Synthwave is a short and sweet map with some nice background music, a very retro 80's look, and some decent combat. Players start out in a small spawn room with some hard to read (neon green against neon purple) credits and a low poly and low resolution portrait of a counter-strike model. Two buttons on opposite ends of the room must be pressed at the same time to open up a wall and reveal a large neon sun. Walking through the sun spits players out in the arena.      The arena itself is very simple. It's a big bowl of uneven terrain, the raised areas around the sides vary in width and all looks very asymmetric and uneven. The ground texture is...

       Jump up a lot of precarious platforms to get to the top. There is no end to this map and sometimes players will spawn at the top, negating the need to platform at all. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Trash Xprase Arena (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 10, 2022 | 1251 characters      Trash Xprase Arena is a climbing map. Players climb crude brushwork of multiple colors through a concrete silo all the way to the top, wherein they exit into a Toonrun grassy noll. Sometimes you spawn at the bottom, sometimes you spawn at the top. I gave up at a certain point, so I can't say for sure that all of the jumps are completable- a couple of them, especially after the elevator, felt that way. Oh yeah, there's also a janky elevator.      Usually my reviews are longer than this, but this just about covers it. Most of the jumps are perilous and will send the player t...

      Jump up a lot of precarious platforms to get to the top. There is no end to this map and sometimes players will spawn at the top, negating the need to platform at all. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Trash Xprase Arena (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 10, 2022 | 1554 characters      I never know how to review platforming maps because I am not a fan of platforming in general. My teammate however is well versed in the arts of first person jumping onto things. He has assured me the climb is probably doable but very difficult. This is already a huge step up for the author, Robootto, whose maps are usually all nonsense.      The map looks real bad, it has misaligned textures that are not meant to be tiled on the walls, all thrown together haphazardly. The platforms come in all shapes and sizes and later there are rails. Half way up the climb there is an elevator ...

       This map is based off the very popular anime Attack on Titan. The Chinese name for the anime is Jinji de Juren, which is where the name of the map comes from. SCMapDB page Author: Dr.Abc Date of final release: 2014 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Juren (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 10, 2022 | 3511 characters      Juren is a defense map styled after the hit Japanese animanga Attack on Titan! I have never seen/read the inspiration for this map, so I'll move forward with my review just assuming this is a perfect representation of the source material.      So, much like in the hit japanimanga Attack on Titan, people defend the village wall from hideous naked freaks of all sizes who lumber around like drunken toddlers waiting to be immediately rendered to goo by a well-placed wack on the back on the neck with a metal rod. The defender swing this rod while swinging themselves using a complicated system of pulle...

      This map is based off the very popular anime Attack on Titan. The Chinese name for the anime is Jinji de Juren, which is where the name of the map comes from. SCMapDB page Author: Dr.Abc Date of final release: 2014 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Juren (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 10, 2022 | 3203 characters      This map is a great attempt at making Attack on Titan into a Sven Co-op experience, but unfortunately I just don't think this is the engine for killing titans like they do in the anime, chiefly rappelling around like spiderman with big swords slicing them up. Players are given the barnacles to do this but the hitbox just never seems to land for me. I think I have gotten a headshot or two with the barnacle and that will insta-gib the titans but really the whole mechanic is finicky at best, it never looks like the barnacle tongue hits them and it often goes right through a massive head and drags me through the titan to ...