Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       This is a nice looking map with a mixture of combat, platforming, and puzzles. A lot of the map looks well done and then there are some spots where enemies just get dumped in the level and one terrible platforming section. SCMapDB page Author: Headz Date of release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Crood Coop (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | August 19, 2023 | 3791 characters      Crood Coop is, apparently, in its fifth alpha as of 20 years ago if the splash screen is to be believed. I wonder if Headz'll ever finish it. It's a walkthrough action/puzzle map, with a heavy emphasis on action.      Rooms are shaped in large, nonsensical ways, which interacts well with the lighting and textures. However, I can't help but wonder if these interesting textures and scrolling electricity brushes and sprites are doing heavy lifting for what feels like mostly room after room of big-open spaces full of monsters. Most of the combat in the map is just in big cu

      This map is less of a fun vacation in the wilderness and more of a flat plane where players fight a bunch of enemies. It's short and straightforward with some interior areas later. SCMapDB page Author: Jose Fung Date of release: 2007 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Camp (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | June 19, 2023 | 2727 characters      Camp starts us out in a big wide open field with some massive cargo containers with a couple of overly large trucks. We're fenced in but otherwise the map is a flat plane with a skybox. The level is big enough for draw distance to be a problem. There is a helicopter and a swarm of human grunts about.      We spawn with tons of weapons, so my teammate and I were hitting the apache with explosive crossbow bolts and keeping the grunts at bay with uzis, mp5s, and shotguns. Eventually we both die and my teammate gets to spawn farther along in the level where he struggled through with more swarms of enemies until death and he

      The 2k version of Bridge (both were made in 2001) is lengthier with a whole complex to be explored after the bridge section. It is much more in line with traditional walkthrough maps and has far less respawning enemies. SCMapDB page Author: Hezus Date of release: 2018 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Bridge 2k (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | May 21, 2023 | 3420 characters      Bridge 2k is a sequel or reimagining of sorts of Bridge, which is a map that I think wasn't terribly good. Bridge 2k honors that by also not being terribly good, and I'll go into why I think that here.      Bridge 2k's design philosophy is thus: take an obtusely long path to a blocky, flatly lit chamber, and then become inundated with respawning grunts until you are no longer inundated by respawning grunts.      I've gone to great lengths to describe what I think is bad about fighting respawning grunts in this fashion before, so I'll keep it contained to thi

      As the title suggests we fight a gargantua in this map. The level is very small and consists of only one small arena dotted with some obstacles and a couple of supplies. The garg respawns when killed and there is no end. SCMapDB page Author: Socrates Date of release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Garg Hunt (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | May 18, 2023 | 2741 characters      Garghunt is a classic map with a classic goal: hunt the garg.      But it is a ruse, you see! To hunt the garg, you must first earn the hunt! To do so, you must first be hunted! Players spawn with a pistol which is ineffectual against the titular garg. So, instead, players are encouraged to roam the map with the garg in hot pursuit as they find weapons which can put a dent in the beast. This generally comes in the form of satchel charges, RPG rockets, and the odd explosive crossbow bolt. All of these can be found on the battlefield, though the RPG is found on a ledge where

      There is only a single room in this map and after a while enemies start spawning in it. There are supplies around but not much else. The map ends in less than four minutes. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 1999 Maps in package:1 Map review of Bypass (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 15, 2023 | 1734 characters      Bypass is a very, very short map which involves shoving players in a strangely shaped room wherein soldiers and ammo constantly appear. The room is shaped like a ring-hallway with ramps leading down to a central ring around a base pillar. The base pillar has HEV and health and around it around ammo pickups. Back up at the outer ring are weapons. It's a pain in the ass to grab any of this stuff as you spawn in the action, but after a couple false starts unloading the pistol into the nearest grunt's head you find what you're looking for.      The map looks fine in that really boring Black Mesa style. It's like pl

      There is not a whole lot of breaking or getting free, this map is an obstacle course with a moving elevator. It's a real fun concept and it is executed fairly well, but Sven Co-op elevators will kill players more than any obstacle in the map. SCMapDB page Author: Beather Date of release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Breakfree (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 10, 2023 | 2781 characters      I thought this map was going to have platforming, and I was sort of wrong. The entire map is an elevator, two players are required to start it up and when it does, it plays Sonic music. Then we have to dodge all sorts of wacky obstacles as the elevator goes up.      If you are familiar with the goldsrc engine or a variety of Sven Co-op maps, you may have realized a flaw in this design. At numerous points in the journey my teammate and I would spontaneously explode. We would always assume an obstacle came through and killed us but most of the time there

      One room with a big zapper in the middle and three hallways on the sides spitting out scientists who run straight into the laser. It's all automatic, there is nothing players can do but watch the lemmings die. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Wrath (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 11, 2023 | 1477 characters      Zapper is map for Sven Co-op which shows off the applications of a scientific zapping machine. To that end, a zapping machine sits in the middle of a room between 3 scientist spawning corridors. Each is drawn to the laser like a moth to a flame. With an "argh!" they fall prone, luring the next scientist in to resurrect. For a scientist zapper, it gets jammed with scientists a lot. Alas, I feel this was probably far more functional before the scientists were updated to resurrect one another.      The map also looks pretty nice, with the zapping machine itself being very we

      One room with a big zapper in the middle and three hallways on the sides spitting out scientists who run straight into the laser. It's all automatic, there is nothing players can do but watch the lemmings die. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Wrath (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 11, 2023 | 1375 characters      This map is very simple. There is one room with a big laser device in the middle of it. There is a console attached to it but it does nothing, ignore the console, do not bother with the console. Scientists spawn in from three short hallways and they sprint directly into the laser beam in the center of the machine. That is the entire map.      The map looks pretty good, a lot of detail went into the laser. Arcs of electricity power it from the sides, big dual pronged machines along the walls. Scientists will try to revive friendly NPCs and players, so some scientists would revive a budd

      There really isn't any large male genitalia in this map. There is a small pixelated depiction of that but it's not the same. Besides that, hang out on a sandy island and hang out in the dance tent or hot tub. Edit: 2/20/2023: Shortly after we wrote our reviews, this map was removed from the database. The reason cited was the map's inclusion, in its entirety, in another map (Secret Lounge). Also the author credit is wrong. This review will be kept for posterity, including the incorrect author credit and broken link to a map page that no longer exists.  SCMapDB page Author: Boxes Date of release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Big Penis (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 11, 2023 | 1714 characters      For everybody looking for a big penis in this map, sorry to break the news like this, but there isn't any. The map description does warn of a porn room but it's weird old man penis. Anyway, the whole map is an island and the

       A never-ending stream of screaming Barneys fights a never-ending stream of soldiers on the other side of a moat. Walls and towers act as fortifications and a small shack at the far end of the map serves as an objective of sorts. SCMapDB page Author: Terminator Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Battle Zone (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | November 6, 2022 | 2036 characters      Battlezone is a Sven Co-op arena map. A fort with respawning Barneys (and players) sits across a moat from a similar fort with respawning HECU grunts. The moat has leeches in it. There are ladders in the walls of the forts which lead up to elevated guard towers with bridges between them. In each fort there are strange brick kiosks within which HEV and weapons respawn. At the far end of the enemy fort is a house full of weapons and respawning enemies.      The main gameplay loop of this map is endlessly fighting grunts while maintaining MP5, M16, underbarrel grena

       Take a break from the other Resident Evil maps where you explore a mansion maze. Fight never ending enemies on the streets and explore to find new areas and secrets. SCMapDB page Author: mrfranswa Date of final release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Resident Evil 2 Mini Game (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | October 16, 2022 | 5354 characters      Resident Evil 2 Mini Game is a zombie sandbox map which endlessly drops zombies and some other random foes on you, mostly in the theme of Resident Evil. The setting is a city block beside a farmhouse parked in a small patch of forest.      Most of the map takes place on a city block beside a patch of forest, connected two tunnels, creating a big ring. The city block area includes a garage, a park, a sandbag-fortified position with a friendly soldier, and some buildings which can be variously levels of entered. Boosting atop one building grants a crowbar (key item, not weapon) which opens a door to an NPC who swe

      This is a symmetrical map where players have to take out four identical towers in the same way to win the map. The spawn gives players plenty of supplies and there are only a few enemy locations, although they do respawn. SCMapDB page Author: tdw Date of final release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Base Under Fire (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | October 2, 2022 | 1985 characters      From the screenshots and the unimaginative name I had the impression that this map was going to be pretty bad. But the spawn room has health, armor, and ammo in abundance and it respawns all very quickly so we don't have to wait around for everybody to be supplied. It starts off really well.      The gameplay loop is as follows, leave spawn, run around and go up some ladders to fight an apache with a rocket launcher, then unlock a couple of gates to a tower filled with snipers and a robo grunt underneath it. There are two buttons at the base of the tower that need to be p

      I don't know why the author thought it was necessary to make this map some weird fanfiction about Barney's family. But I will say none of that matters, simply kill aliens in the map and you win. SCMapDB page Author: Tigan Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barney The Great (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | October 1, 2022 | 1274 characters      There is a rather fanciful interpretation of what happens in this map in the map description. I guess Barney's family is a bunch of aliens. The map is very straightforward, players spawn in a room with some pistol ammo, walk through a hallway full of zombies, go up some stairs and get a shotgun. There is one fork in the map here, players can go up to fight a gargantua and die or go around to fight alien slaves and grunts to get an rpg to kill the gargantua. The map ends when the garg dies. That is the whole map.      The whole thing was over so fast. The story might as well be for a diff

      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 tone and gives players a moment to experien

    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 the express purpose of trolling othe

      There are two waves that attack player spawn, one is 100 human soldiers and the other is 100 aliens. Players are given great cover and are lavished with supplies, making the combat fairly trivial. SCMapDB page Author: Cannibal Date of final release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Attack Wave (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | August 21, 2022 | 3387 characters      This is a very straightforward map, there is a well supplied spawn building, and enemies attack it in two patterns. The first wave of attack is 100 marines and the second is a load of alien grunts, alien controllers, vortigaunts, and gargantuas.      The map has a couple areas of interest, the spawn area is a two story building with a roof, the roof has a crossbow, floor two has a health station, HEV station, two windows with shutters, one window with a pretty good mounted gun, a storage room with some underbarrel grenades and some other ammo, and another storage room with more ammo. The bottom floo

      Attack aliens in the courtyard, behind the building, and sometimes in spawn if they can manage to walk through the front door. This is a small map with plenty of combat. SCMapDB page Author: Hterag Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Attack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | August 11, 2022 | 3851 characters      Attack is a short garg map with vortigaunts, zombies, and shock troopers respawning in endlessly to add variety and spice. Given that this is post-the shockroach update, I ended up abusing the shockroaches to do some damage to the gargs.      The map takes place in a building surrounded by fences. Players spawn in the building, and running out and to the back makes the first garg spawn in front of the building. There's a side area that can be broken into to retrieve a crossbow, and in the back there are grenades. Once players obtain explosives they can blow up a door in the spawn area to reveal a shelf full of the boiler plate

      Attack aliens in the courtyard, behind the building, and sometimes in spawn if they can manage to walk through the front door. This is a small map with plenty of combat. SCMapDB page Author: Hterag Date of final release: 2005 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Attack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | August 11, 2022 | 2741 characters      Aliens are attacking, this map plays more like a defense map. Players start in a room looking out some windows in a second story room in a building. There is a door here that shows a message stating we'll need explosives to get through it. The other door leads down stairs to outside the building. The courtyard is filled with zombies, vortigaunts, and shock troopers. These all respawn endlessly the entire map.      From here I went forward and leapt over a small gate to examine a waterfall that eventually led to snarks, both the weapon and the enemy, on a ledge that was frustratingly hard to climb up onto. My teammate went around

       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 very spirit o

      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 behind players as well. Mor