Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       Zombie Pit is one of those maps where the name really says it all. Maybe the name left out the lava and the fact that there is a teleporter out of the pit but that's about all that the name leaves out. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Zombie Pit (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | May 14, 2022 | 1001 characters      Zombie Pit is an early map out of Keen, and it shows. As is the soft, early prodding of what a playable map can look like. Some beveled brushes loosely imitating naturalistic rock formations suspend freshly spawned players over a fractured earthen arena half-sunk in deadly, glowing, one-hit-kill pasta (or lava, idk). In the lower area the player will find headcrabs, zombies, and a teleporter back up. After moments of play, the zombies and headcrabs fall into the pasta/lava and the action grinds to a halt.      This is a clear example of an early jab at mapping. There's no real good reason to

      Zombie Pit is one of those maps where the name really says it all. Maybe the name left out the lava and the fact that there is a teleporter out of the pit but that's about all that the name leaves out. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Zombie Pit (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | May 14, 2022 | 1263 characters      Zombie pit is a very small map where players start above a pit that does not have zombies until a player jumps down. I don't know if the zombies spawn endlessly from that point on, or if the zombies spawn every time a player jumps down. There is lava in the pit that zombies and headcrabs can fall into and then players can't really see them or go down in there so the monsters just sit in the lava preventing more zombies from spawning in. I think they zombies do respawn when a player jumps down because they respawned right when my teammate jumped down after me. In the pit there is a teleporte

       There are quite a few maps centered around the gargantua, this particular map has tons of enemies in it yet the gargantua gets all the credit. Players go through teleporters and end up in a big room full of enemies. SCMapDB page Author: Hezus Date of final release: 2001 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Garg House (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 24, 2022 | 2320 characters      Garghouse2k is an endless combat map starring a garg, a warehouse (technically a house), an escalating series of events which makes combat more and more complex and intense. First you have a garg running around, then you have bullsquids, then the HECU invade, and then vortigaunts and alien grunts join in the fray- needless to say, things get pretty crazy.      Players spawn in a separated balcony where they can lord over the battle with mutual impunity. However, after jogging through a teleporter the players are thrust into the action on the ground level with the garg. All around the

       There are quite a few maps centered around the gargantua, this particular map has tons of enemies in it yet the gargantua gets all the credit. Players go through teleporters and end up in a big room full of enemies. SCMapDB page Author: Hezus Date of final release: 2001 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Garg House (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 24, 2022 | 3744 characters      Garg House is a horde arena map where players are dumped into an arena filled with respawning aliens, not just the gargantua, and eventually human soldiers as well. The map descript says you go into battle 'well stocked' but that is a lie, the biggest problem in the map was trying to get explosives to take down the gargs.      The map layout is a large simple room. The spawn area is a fenced off section on one side of the room above the chaos, allowing players to see what they are getting themselves into. Each end of the room has a teleporter into the arena with no way to get

      Apache Battle 2 is a slightly improved version of Apache Battle. The arena has been revamped, there are weapons now that still aren't very useful, and the helicopters don't respawn forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 23, 2022 | 1688 characters      Apache Battle 2 is like Apache Battle 1, but with a few seemingly minor changes that make a lot of difference.      The map revolves around battling apaches using meager ammo, prompting mad sprints across a mostly coverless battlefield to a huge mounted gun to target the apaches. All the while, grunts harass with grenades and superior firepower.      This differs from the previous map by giving the player grenades, shotguns, a teleporter to a useless ridge that they must jump off of, and better HEV chargers than last time. This buys it some points, but I think the HEV is largely wasted on the

      Apache Battle 2 is a slightly improved version of Apache Battle. The arena has been revamped, there are weapons now that still aren't very useful, and the helicopters don't respawn forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 23, 2022 | 2446 characters      I played Apache Battle right before playing this one and I thought it was terrible. The sequel was an official map way back in the Sven Co-op 1.3 release so I thought it would be much improved. Instead, it has only marginally improved.      My major complaint about the first map is the lack of weapons to deal with the threats, this is a trend that continues in the officially released sequel. There are grenades in the spawn area, a shotgun on the roof and in full view of the eponymous Apache, and some HEV chargers on the wall in addition to the HEV batteries. There is one box of shotgun shells

   This map follows the proud tradition of not featuring what is in the title, the above picture is the closest to an alley we're going to see in this map. It's a linear map through varied locations and themes and some combat. SCMapDB page Author: Vince Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Alley (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 19, 2022 | 4071 characters      Alley is a straight-up walkthrough map through and through. It takes you from scenario to scenario, each brushed with moderately decent architecture and passable -if mediocre- natural rock structure brushwork.      There is no attempt at theme or continuity. In one room you battle a hostile gargantua, in the next you are teamed up with a friendly gargantua fighting human grunts, and literally around the corner from there you fight hostile alien grunts. This sequence of events is so sudden and jarring that my teammate and I immediately opened fire on the friendly gargantua.   

  This map follows the proud tradition of not featuring what is in the title, the above picture is the closest to an alley we're going to see in this map. It's a linear map through varied locations and themes and some combat. SCMapDB page Author: Vince Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Alley (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 19, 2022 | 4184 characters      When I first loaded up Alley I immediately thought that this map didn't look like an alley. It starts off in a desert canyon area and then goes into long hallways with your standard Black Mesa textures. The whole map is a series of hallways and rooms with varying themes and enemy composition.      Players start off in an outdoor desert room with a truck and enemies directly behind the truck, so combat starts right off the bat. Fight some soldiers through linear hallways and find a room witha barney and a shotgun along the way. The shotgun, along with every other weapon on th

       A Soldier's Tale is a standalone mod converted to work in Sven Co-op. While the map set is pretty solid it does take place in Black Mesa, which is a setting that has been done to death and back. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Matt Arnold Conversion authors: Mikk for mapping and Outerbeast for scripting Date of original mod release: 2000 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 7 Map review of A Soldier's Tale (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 1, 2022 | 4743 characters      A Soldier's Tale is an incredibly well made walkthrough map which captures much of the same fun energy that Opposing Forces had, capitalizing on the interplay of several factions fighting at once in a way that very few Sven maps have the balls to. HECU, Black Mesa personnel, Black Ops assassins, Xen military, and Race X military all duke it out in massive battles from one arena to the next.      Beyond the Opposing Force style gameplay, however, there is al

      A Soldier's Tale is a standalone mod converted to work in Sven Co-op. While the map set is pretty solid it does take place in Black Mesa, which is a setting that has been done to death and back. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Matt Arnold Conversion authors: Mikk for mapping and Outerbeast for scripting Date of original mod release: 2000 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 7 Map review of A Soldier's Tale (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 1, 2022 | 2423 characters      A soldier's Tale is a fairly well done map set. I will admit I am pretty tired of seeing Sven maps take place in Black Mesa but this one was well done and convincing. Although I do feel the need to point out a room in one of the maps accessible only by a vent, that is some strange architecture.      The story follows a squad of HECU grunts being sent into Black Mesa and meeting both the Xen aliens and whatever is with the aliens from Opposing Forces. There ar