Space2 - Dunkelschwamm

  

    Welcome to Space, the second one. According to the map description this is part of a larger planned series and would have been lost to time if a certain user didn't save it. It's a kind of NASA flavored space, far more realistic than your Star Treks or whatever.

SCMapDB page

Author: Richman

Date of release: 2009

Maps in package: 1

Map review of Space2

(originally posted on SCMapDB)

by dunkelschwamm | September 26, 2026 | 3457 characters

    Space2 is a magnificent example of a cooperative experience map. It has puzzles, combat, and combat puzzles within a magnificent use of Half-Life assets to create a really believable environment.

    Players traverse a space station with some incredible displays of scale when you look out the windows or traverse lifts which view out into space. Objectives read out on on-screen text which explain the simple co-op puzzles players must complete to power on the station and proceed. Eventually, we run into real opposition and have to use the mechanisms of the space station to deal with that.

    It starts very simple, with puzzles like both players pressing buttons at once to align station implements, unlock doors, that kind of thing. This is all super fun because, though it is simple, it all gives the players a sense of learning the logic of the space station. It's in these moments that the really clean brushwork and use of textures shines and creates a believable space.

    Eventually, players traverse labs with incidental hazards and hostile aliens to fight on our way to find batteries to power on a couple big generators. This whole segment made us fear the map was broken when one of the batteries wouldn't obey being pushed toward the door of its containing room, only for me to surmise a Barney's corpse was blocking it and solved the problem by gibbing the corpse. This part has a lot of great environmental storytelling in the labs.

    Then comes the big battle. Players find an armory after traversing an area guarded by ceiling turrets. With an arsenal of Sven Co-op's heavier hitting weaponry, players are pitted against respawning hgrunts in a cramped area where they must take a key to a detonator. More interestingly, after this, players must lure a near-invincible hwgrunt into a cargo bay and sacrifice one player to release him into space. This may be one of the most fun puzzle bosses in a Sven Co-op map I've played yet, and it's very simple.

    The map ends shortly after that with us very satisfied. I think the meat and potatoes of the map are problem-solving and navigating the space station's interesting layout. The combat is more of a sauce that flavors those main courses as the map escalates.

    I can't recommend this map enough. I don't know if I've made enough of a point of this, but the map is beautiful. Between all of the puzzles that make you feel like you're there, glimpses into space really make things believable. Play with two to four players. I think any more than that and you'll be a bit crowded.

Pros:

• Gorgeous mapping almost entirely in simple brushwork and clever texture placement.
• Objective system keeps the pacing forward-directed, like Navi but less annoying
• The co-op challenges that aren't very difficult feel immersive
• The co-op challenges that do have difficulty feel very clever
• The commander-ejection puzzle was beautiful. I loved going out the cargo bay with him.
• Environmental storytelling in the lab area was really cute

Cons:

• The Barney corpse blocking the power cell almost made us think the map was broken
• I think the respawning hgrunts and tight corridors puzzle is a bit annoying for my tastes.
• I can see some people thinking this map is, overall, too easy.

Score: 8.9 / 10