Sven Co-op Map Reviews

      A front-doorless fort with a scientist glued to the center, a courtyard, and a button that spawns waves of enemies, the goal is to protect the scientist. Except enemies don't target the scientist so it is hard to lose this map. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of final release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Baohu (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 18, 2022 | 3108 characters      Baohu is a wave defense map which really requires a large number of players to make feasible. The point of the map is to protect a scientist from an onslaught of progressively more impossible waves of bullet-spongey enemies. However, the scientist himself has a ton of health and is never explicitly targeted by the enemies. Rather, the main obstacle of this map will be enemies breaching the base where the players spawn and spawncamp the players. I played this with one other player, and we got as far as a wave of bulky snipers who would unload se...

      A front-doorless fort with a scientist glued to the center, a courtyard, and a button that spawns waves of enemies, the goal is to protect the scientist. Except enemies don't target the scientist so it is hard to lose this map. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of final release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Baohu (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 18, 2022 | 3108 characters      The map is simple, players start in a small fort and outside the front gate is a big field where enemies spawn in waves. There is a scientist in the middle of the fort stuck in place, if he dies then the game is lost. Now I thought this map was going to suck because it was going to be hard keeping the scientist alive, this is not the case. The scientist has 15000 health and can be healed, takes no damage from players, and enemies don't target him. We were careful about him at first but near the end we would bury him under satchel charges and bl...

       It seems that making a map in an hour is something of a trend among Sven Co-op mappers. This one is from Robootto, an infamous author known for making strange and unplayable maps. Thankfully this map is, as the map description says, almost playable. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Robo's 1 Hour Map (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 17, 2022 | 2698 characters      If "1 hour map" legitimately means Robootto made this map in one hour, it'd explain a lot. Robo's 1 Hour Map is a walkthrough map that is mostly broken and sloppily thrown together. Textures exist where they shouldn't be, level geometry is jank, combat is a mess, the progression is broken, and there is no real map end. I do not recommend.      It should be noted that this review is primarily of the unlit version of this map. However, I think I've played enough of the version shown here to...

      It seems that making a map in an hour is something of a trend among Sven Co-op mappers. This one is from Robootto, an infamous author known for making strange and unplayable maps. Thankfully this map is, as the map description says, almost playable. SCMapDB page Author: Robootto Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Robo's 1 Hour Map (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 17, 2022 | 3651 characters      For a map made in one hour, this is pretty terrible. I played this map from the Big Robootto Map Pack, and that version was fullbright, I then downloaded the map off the map's page and reinstalled from that, the map's lighting was fixed. So if you have the big map pack you'll want to use this one instead, not that it matters much, you probably shouldn't play this map.      When the map starts I am already being eaten by headcrabs. This is a good start. There are weapons and ammo strewn about the...

       The map is called 'Bad Training' but I'm not sure what the map is training me for, perhaps because there are some targets in the map? Both the author and release date are unknown so the mystery is likely to remain unsolved. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Bad Training (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 17, 2022 | 1879 characters      Bad Training is a very short walkthrough map for Sven Co-op. It is not very competently made, but that's not to say it's a bad map. Let's explain.      Now, I have to admit up front, this is an ugly map. This map doesn't look good. It is very function over form, but there are many functionless choices- from the strange choices of textures to the easily climbed walls to the robogrunts who attack right out of spawn. Everything here is a questionable choice that detracts from the overall map.      However...

      The map is called 'Bad Training' but I'm not sure what the map is training me for, perhaps because there are some targets in the map? Both the author and release date are unknown so the mystery is likely to remain unsolved. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Bad Training (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 17, 2022 | 2152 characters      This is a short map where players spawn in a room full of robo grunts and get shot immediately. The map also ahs a fade in, so we are getting shot without being able to see anything. There is a doorway but it is blocked by a crate, there is no ceiling, just sky, so we jump on top of some crates and we can see right over the walls. We can see and hear tons of robo grunts and there is a kingpin right there on the other side of the wall. Some robo grunts got lured into a fight with the kingpin, it was great. After trying to throw all manner ...

       I don't see a lot of maps really use the barnacle to it's full potential, so I was very excited when I saw this map. Then I read the map description, it is abandoned because the author didn't think it was fun, oh well. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barnacle Course (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 17, 2022 | 2768 characters      Barnacle Course is an unfinished obstacle course map based around the Barnacle. It was supposedly unfinished because the author did not believe the concept was proving to be fun.      The map is themed like the Half-Life Black Mesa Hazard Course, but with a bit more flare with their use of burning lava in their barnacle test course. Along there way there's some fleshy growths with sideways xen grass which is a lot of fun. None of it really adds up to a good feeling whole, but everything is fine as individual s...

      I don't see a lot of maps really use the barnacle to it's full potential, so I was very excited when I saw this map. Then I read the map description, it is abandoned because the author didn't think it was fun, oh well. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barnacle Course (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 17, 2022 | 2818 characters      This map was abandoned due to the author not thinking it was very fun. That is not a very promising sign and after playing the map I have to agree.      The whole map is set up around the barnacle, pretty obvious from the name of the map. The map is pretty standard wide Black Mesa hallways with barnacle grapple points, the first 'puzzles' of the map are just barnacling to platforms in lava down a hallway. The most difficult parts are the vertical sections because if you barnacle straight up then chances are you will ...

       Welcome to a land of dark and grainy textures, emphasis on grainy. This is a short and spooky map where players must explore a decrepit facility while dealing with hostile creatures. SCMapDB page Author: RNG Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Mystic Radar (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 17, 2022 | 5489 characters      Mystic Radar is a short horror map by RNG with a charmingly cheesy story and an atmosphere of texture and grit.      The map is broken up into three parts, I would say. The first is a machine room where players must complete a series of puzzles while dodging two zombies without any weapons. The first puzzle, before the zombies appear, involves placing a block simply into a machine when the machine is opened by a valve pressed by another player. The rest of the puzzles involve finding keys or turning valves while zombies run amok. Once the puzzles in this room are ...

      Welcome to a land of dark and grainy textures, emphasis on grainy. This is a short and spooky map where players must explore a decrepit facility while dealing with hostile creatures. SCMapDB page Author: RNG Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Mystic Radar (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 17, 2022 | 3865 characters      Mystic Radar is a very dark and atmospheric map, it's got fog restricting view distance and constant background music always setting the mood. Most of the gameplay is hunting for keys, valves to turn, destructible panels, or whatever else is needed to progress. Zombies show up and are generally very annoying.      When the map starts my eye is drawn to the textures. Pretty much every surface texture is grainy, lke the world is made out of static. Most everything is a dull metallic color, ranging from rust brown to not-yet-rusty dirty grey. With how dark the map is this c...

       This map series has been cut short and abandoned due to a very unfortunate loss of files. What we have here are two maps of story build up, one map of gameplay, and one map with credits, all unpolished. SCMapDB page Author: Skals Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 4 Map review of Bad Day at Work (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 15, 2022 | 4338 characters      Bad Day at Work is a release of four maps of an unfinished series. Players tour a very modern looking lab complex, tour a very modern looking lab complex during an alien invasion, and tour a very decidedly unmodern alien invasion during a lab complex.      There are four maps, but one is an intro, two have gameplay, and the last one is such a non-sequitur cutaway to aliens before an abrupt map end that it plays off like a joke. So, I'll review the first three maps.      The first map is very atmospheric and interesting looki...

      This map series has been cut short and abandoned due to a very unfortunate loss of files. What we have here are two maps of story build up, one map of gameplay, and one map with credits, all unpolished. SCMapDB page Author: Skals Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 4 Map review of Bad Day at Work (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 16, 2022 | 6206 characters      Unfortunately this series has not been completed. According to the description there was a much bigger plan in place that was canned due to losing important files, so now we get an unfinished and abandoned half a map series. Also this is my second time trying to write this review, I accidentally hit the back button when I was almost finished which means I lost my review. Ironic that I lost my review while trying to review a series abandoned due to file loss.      There are four maps in the set, the first map had no enemies, it was just to set the...

       Shrink down extra small and fight for control of the bedroom as tiny green men. This map is highly reminiscent of old classic Army Men games like Sarge's Heroes. SCMapDB page Author: RaptorSKA Date of final release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Toysoldiers (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 11, 2022 | 5154 characters      Toy Soldiers is an action walkthrough map wherein players take on the role of toy soldiers in a room which has been freshly conquered by enemy toy soldiers. We get the benefits of a rats map and the charm of playing as colorful plastic soldiers smashed together. How does it work?      Well, Toy Soldiers is one of the highest rated maps on Sven Co-op Map Database for good reason. The map is a perfect length, follows good practices of moving spawnpoints forward and keeping players stocked with quickly restocking ammo/HEV/health depots. The health and HEV wall generators seem to nev...

      Shrink down extra small and fight for control of the bedroom as tiny green men. This map is highly reminiscent of old classic Army Men games like Sarge's Heroes. SCMapDB page Author: RaptorSKA Date of final release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Toysoldiers (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 11, 2022 | 6153 characters      Toy Soldiers is a rats map with the army man theme. I love rats maps, something about being small and fighting to the death in a huge room really appeals to me. With the extra effort of custom models (reskins to be either green, tan, grey, or blue) the map is even more charming.      Before we get to the fighting players get to spawn inside the house at normal size. We can look outside at the lawn, the car parked in the driveway, some impressive bushes that most people probably won't notice. It's a fun start to the map, using the play set with the glow sprite will start the map properly...

      Just another average Black Mesa themed walkthrough map. Backattack is a small collection of Black Mesa themed areas with some heavy combat sprinkled around. SCMapDB page Author: Sust Date of final release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Backattack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 10, 2022 | 2139 characters      BackAttack is an action map featuring lots of spawning enemies and some weapons in some interesting environments which mostly encourage players to spawn at doors and floor firepower into the next room before proceeding forward.      First players are tasked with clearing out a hallway to a garage, a vent from there to a beautiful room which respawns grenades as you fight a helipad full of soldiers, then aliens, then aliens and soldiers. Then you crawl into the next area where you fight a room full of soldiers and another room with soldiers and aliens and then an outdoor area full of soldiers and ...

      Just another average Black Mesa themed walkthrough map. Backattack is a small collection of Black Mesa themed areas with some heavy combat sprinkled around. SCMapDB page Author: Sust Date of final release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Backattack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 10, 2022 | 3433 characters      The map description reads "a small indoor/outdoor walkthrough map" and that is really the best way to describe it. This map has your standard Black Mesa fare, with lots of underground hallways, crates, plenty of vents, and some desert outdoor areas. The map is fairly short, but the enemies have tons of health and there is not much ammo around, it is definitely geared for more players on a server.      Players start off in a tunnel with a crate. The crate breaks as players walk by and a headcrab feebly attacks. You're going to want to go inside this crate because it has the revolver in it. Right af...

    This is a short map that puts players in a very defensible building with respawning monsters outside. Players who can get past the enemies can explore a short walkthrough portion until hitting the map end. SCMapDB page Author: Yaxez Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Azac (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 10, 2022 | 3040 characters      Azac is a map from 2005 which features lots of action, some cute moments, and overall clunky presentation.      Players at first begin in a very clunky spawn area: a tower which is traversed via narrow elevator (great for co-op /s), enough equipment for approximately one player until the equipment respawns, and an attic which players must clunkily slide down a cliff face 3 stories down to a fighting pen surrounded by laser gates warding off respawning zombies and gonomes. The laser gates can be toggled on and off from within the spawn area, I'm presuming for t...

      This is a short map that puts players in a very defensible building with respawning monsters outside. Players who can get past the enemies can explore a short walkthrough portion until hitting the map end. SCMapDB page Author: Yaxez Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Azac (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 10, 2022 | 3297 characters      This map started off looking like a defense map with never-ending zombies and gonomes. But it turned out to be a mix of a couple gameplay elements. It's very short and my teammate and I beat it in less than ten minutes.      The map starts off with a cutscene of a courtyard with a fence, full of zombies. The camera follows a baby garg around and eventually the fence shatters. I was surprised at first because I was not expecting this map to have production value like this, but it was a fairly simple cutscene.      Players spawn in a room wi...

       Azure Sheep is a Half-Life mod made a long time ago in 2001 with an 8.5 on moddb. It introduces new characters while also showing us old favorites with Gordon Freeman, Adrian Shepard, and the original Barney which is a bit hard to tell since pretty much every other NPC in the mod/map set is Barney. SCMapDB page Original map author: DAVLevels Conversion author: Chocolate IceCream Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2020 Maps in package: 45 Map review of Azure Sheep (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | September 8, 2022 | 5343 characters      Azure Sheep is a prolific Half-Life modification known for having a shitload of maps, decent visual quality, a few new actors, and a very fanficy alternative take on the Black Mesa incident from Barney's eyes.      Before Episode 1 introduced players to leading your NPC handgun toting wisecracking waifu through alien and military infested indust...

      Azure Sheep is a Half-Life mod made a long time ago in 2001 with an 8.5 on moddb. It introduces new characters while also showing us old favorites with Gordon Freeman, Adrian Shepard, and the original Barney which is a bit hard to tell since pretty much every other NPC in the mod/map set is Barney. SCMapDB page Original map author: DAVLevels Conversion author: Chocolate IceCream Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2020 Maps in package: 45 Map review of Azure Sheep (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | September 8, 2022 | 5918 characters      Azure Sheep is a long mod converted for Sven Co-op. I did not expect it to be this bad. The almighty Hallway is a staple of any video game, but I feel like lately I've been playing a spate of Sven maps that are comprised mainly of hallways. Hallways are not interesting. Azure Sheep is about 90% hallways.      Azure Sheep has 45 maps in it. That's a lot...