Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       Surface Run is a map where players must run to the surface. It's a conversion from a standalone mod that takes place in Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: noSICK Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2011 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Surface Run (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 16, 2022 | 3530 characters      Surface Run is a Half-Life mod with some really novel ideas. I didn't play it but from what I can tell it has a lot of differences from its original version and this conversion, which I understand takes many liberties with the stories, monsters, and items. So, as such, I'm going to review it as its own thing.      Surface Run is a Sven Co-op mod with some really novel ideas. It takes the player into an underground facility run by a malicious science organization trying to make more resonance cascades. Well- OH NO- they did it, and now there's a big chunk of

      Surface Run is a map where players must run to the surface. It's a conversion from a standalone mod that takes place in Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: noSICK Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2011 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Surface Run (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 16, 2022 | 3918 characters      The objective of the map is simple, run to the surface. Players spawn at the elevator to the surface and are told their first objective is to find a medkit. If players use the elevator they get a message saying it needs a keycard. This first part has players wandering around with no weapons. The map is fairly linear until player get to a grate that breaks underneath their feet plunging them down into a portal to Xen.      This is where the map starts having some issues. My teammate died during this fall to Xen and I don't know how. There are a few teleporters in this

       Access Point is a standalone mod converted to work in Sven Co-op. The whole goal of the map is to escape from Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Dr. Orange Conversion authors: Mikk Date of original mod release: 2018 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Access Point (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 16, 2022 | 4920 characters      Access Point is a singleplayer mod that I have never played by (the, I'm presuming, mysterious) Dr Orange. Access Point for Sven Co-op is a port of that singleplayer mod by mikk. And boy, what a port it is.      Access Point is a fast-paced singleplayer map which acts as a vertical slice of all of the action in the first half-dozen-or-so chapters of Half-Life. There are headcrabs, houndeyes, barnacles, vortigaunts, and grunts battled through fast and satisfying mini-battles throughout the exploration of the locale. Said locale is one of those Black Mesa industrial areas, fit with

      Access Point is a standalone mod converted to work in Sven Co-op. The whole goal of the map is to escape from Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Dr. Orange Conversion authors: Mikk Date of original mod release: 2018 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Access Point (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 16, 2022 | 3376 characters      This map I another port of a stand alone Half-Life mod. Unlike most other ports of mods this one is very short. At the beginning of the map it gives players a vote on a hard or medium difficulty. It's so short that my teammate and I played the map twice, on both difficulties.      The first problem with the map is that since it's a port of a singleplayer mod there is a shortage of ammo. There are only two underbarrel grenades for the M16 in the whole level and not much M16 ammo either. Shotgun and magnum rounds were plentiful, but seemed stretched thin across two people and didn

       This is a map based on Everquest, something I have zero experience with. At the very least the map is dripping in fantasy aesthetic, from the level design to the custom models, the map reminds me of playing Dungeons and Dragons. SCMapDB page Author: Sword666 Date of final release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Nagafens Lair (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 15, 2022 | 4306 characters      Man what the fuck did I just play?      Nagafen's lair is an incredibly unambitious attempt at a very ambitious idea. Teleporter-based class selection informs which kind of character you'll be, though the icon of the helmet gives the player a crowbar, a wrench, a pistol, and a medkit, all of which are pretty crucial to proceeding. My teammate chose different classes but seemed constantly hurting for utility.      The actual gameplay starts confusingly with a lava flow scene devoid of scale or grandeur, barred are nerfed with invisible walls. The natural p

      This is a map based on Everquest, something I have zero experience with. At the very least the map is dripping in fantasy aesthetic, from the level design to the custom models, the map reminds me of playing Dungeons and Dragons. SCMapDB page Author: Sword666 Date of final release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Nagafens Lair (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 15, 2022 | 4195 characters      The screenshots for this map look very promising. I had really high hopes for this map and I was disappointed. Now, to be fair, apparently this is the mappers first map. For somebody's first map ever, it could definitely be worse.      Overall, the map is short. It starts the player off in an area with some NPCs with custom models in a corner that my teammate killed immediately. I don't really know what was going on with those. On the other side of the room are holes with symbols above them. This map is based on Everquest, and I don't know shit about Ev

       Half-Life: C.A.G.E.D., or just Caged as I will refer to the map from here on, is a standalone Half-Life mod converted to Sven Co-op. It's a prison break themed mod with quite a few maps. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Cayle George Conversion authors: ak47toh Date of original mod release: 2017 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: lots Map review of C.A.G.E.D. (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 15, 2022 | 4840 characters      C-A-G-E-D, or "Caged" for short, is a Half-Life mod experience that's quite fantastic. The single-player mod is available on Steam and, to be frank and up-front, this is a mod designed to be experienced as a singeplayer mod.      My review of C-A-G-E-D is:      It's a very beautiful mod with some fast-paced action, satisfying combat, tense platforming, and a general feeling that you are attempting to escape from a high-level prison complex. The thematic music, end-game setting, and final visua

      Half-Life: C.A.G.E.D., or just Caged as I will refer to the map from here on, is a standalone Half-Life mod converted to Sven Co-op. It's a prison break themed mod with quite a few maps. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Cayle George Conversion authors: ak47toh Date of original mod release: 2017 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: lots Map review of C.A.G.E.D. (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 15, 2022 | 3459 characters      Sometimes when a singleplayer Half-Life mod gets ported to Sven Co-op it doesn't really hold up, like Half-Quake. The second map, where actual gameplay starts, has it pretty rough, but overall I think this is one of the better ports and one of the better Sven Co-op maps out there. It definitely can be completed solo, a lot of the time whoever entered a room first would kill everybody inside before the other could do much to help. With any more than two players the combat becomes pretty trivial.      The map s

       Geothermal is a short mod converted to run in Sven Co-op. The goal is to remove a power core from a geothermal plant, I don't know what kind of geothermal power generator requires a core but here we are. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: ChickenFist Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2016 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Geothermal (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 8, 2022 | 3949 characters      Geothermal is a walkthrough map which takes players through an underground complex. Aliens attack, "Burned" Grunts are uncovered deep within, and the G-Man is up to no good. What could it all mean?      Most of this map is fairly straight forward: move through obstacles and enemies until you find a switch, then backtrack until you see where a new location opened up. Sometimes this involves climbing ladders, sometimes this involves perilous platforming, most of the times it involves shoo

      Geothermal is a short mod converted to run in Sven Co-op. The goal is to remove a power core from a geothermal plant, I don't know what kind of geothermal power generator requires a core but here we are. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: ChickenFist Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2016 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Geothermal (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 8, 2022 | 3832 characters      This is a fun little map where your objective is to remove a power core from a geothermal power plant. I don't understand what possible core a geothermal power plant can have, are we stealing the soul of a volcano here?      The basic gameplay of this map is exploring a mostly empty underground laboratory setting looking for the next objective. It's a scavenger hunt for buttons to open doors or turn off obstacles. Players start with only a medkit and eventually find a crowbar, pistol, magnu

       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

      Chancars is a fun map with a big mostly open area with plenty of cars to drive around. There is a locked door players can unlock by ramping through a ring several times, but other than that there is no progression. It's just a map to have fun with. SCMapDB page Author: Gruntzz Date of final release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Chancars (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | December 4, 2021 | 2126 characters      Chancars had a simple premise that I had no patience for. Ring the ring a certain number of times, but it's only reachable via a jump made by wacky cars. Unfortunately, as you ride there is an invincible gonome running around and killing the player. He gave me the vibe of the yeti from SkiFree, always showing up at a terrible time to grind the action to the halt with a one-hit-kill.      The main attraction of this map is the cars themselves: wacky themed func_vehicles await for the player to roll around and jump off ramps to the big ring in

      Chancars is a fun map with a big mostly open area with plenty of cars to drive around. There is a locked door players can unlock by ramping through a ring several times, but other than that there is no progression. It's just a map to have fun with. SCMapDB page Author: Gruntzz Date of final release: 2021 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Chancars (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | December 4, 2021 | 2002 characters      I'm just going to say it, goldsrc has some terrible vehicles and func_vehicle is finicky at best.      The map idea is pretty standard stuff, a map with ramps and other fun terrain features and a bunch of wacky cars. Some of the cars are quite wacky like the surfboard with a wave behind it, the jousting chairs, the jetbikes with 3d models attached to the vehicle so they actually look like jetbikes. I did really enjoy taking most of them out for a spin.      The main problem is that half the time I am driving I die. Whether it's because I g

       Afraid of Monsters is a well known Half-Life mod. This conversion to Sven Co-op is near flawless and brings the original mod to life in all it's glory. It's been lovingly ported and updated throughout the years to keep it running stable and smoothly. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Andreas "ruMpel" Rönnberg and James "Minuit" Marchant Conversion authors: Zorbos, R4to0, JonnyBoy0719, and Sence Date of original mod release: 2005, Director's Cut on 2007 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: lots Map review of Afraid Of Monsters / Afraid Of Monsters: Director's Cut Co-op (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | November 29, 2021 | 4044 characters      Afraid of Monsters is one of the greatest Half-Life mods of all time in terms of consistency, design, trickery, impact, and meme-ability; an icon of modding. The Sven Coop port of Afraid of Monsters: Director's Cut is one of the greatest ports of a mod to Sven Coop.   

      Afraid of Monsters is a well known Half-Life mod. This conversion to Sven Co-op is near flawless and brings the original mod to life in all it's glory. It's been lovingly ported and updated throughout the years to keep it running stable and smoothly. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Andreas "ruMpel" Rönnberg and James "Minuit" Marchant Conversion authors: Zorbos, R4to0, JonnyBoy0719, and Sence Date of original mod release: 2005, Director's Cut on 2007 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: lots Map review of Afraid Of Monsters / Afraid Of Monsters: Director's Cut Co-op (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | November 27, 2021 | 1955 characters      This is probably the best Sven co-op map series I've played to date. I never played the original mod so I can't comment on how faithful it is to the original, but its amazing. The hub level is really nice, the fact that there are multiple versions of maps for difficu