Sven Co-op Map Reviews

      The original Half-Life: Echoes mod was released in 2018, and one year later the Sven Co-op conversion came out. It's a more modern conversion of a more modern mod. It's got striking visuals and great sequences and the converter did a great job making it ready for cooperative play. SCMapDB page Original map author: James Coburn Conversion author: kmkz Date of original mod release: 2018 Date of final Sven Map release: 2019 Maps in package: 15 Map review of Echoes (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | April 21, 2023 | 5248 characters      Half Life Echoes is a mod for Half-Life which is ported here to Sven. Having just played through it, I think this whole 14-map extravaganza can be broken down into the following: set-pieces, environmental art, gameplay, and story.      The set-pieces of Half Life Echoes are mostly pretty good. There's long-form puzzles, like a giant grinder that needs multiple explosives shoved into it, or leading enemies into one

    Rise up brother, and let us flee this lab! Players are regular human beings trapped in a laboratory and trying to escape. We fight what I assume are our fellow prisoners to escape. SCMapDB page Author: eMTeG Date of release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Lab Flee (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 19, 2023 | 3138 characters      Labflee is a Sven Co-op walkthrough map with a blackmesa-type setting. In many ways it is a typical walkthrough map, but in many others it is what I would consider very *extra*.      The main basis of this map revolves around this central kiosk wherein a scientist is safely (and anxiously) locked behind bulletproof windows and surrounded by doors. By following these doors, players can access a storage area with an egon gun, an elevator to a heavily turret-guarded power generator area, and ultimately teleporters to the exterior. While backtracking through these areas, enemies often repopulate to keep things inter

    Despite the name this map is a Shadow Warrior themed map, no Black Hawks around, bird or helicopter. It's got both key hunt elements just like games in the old days and its got plenty of combat as well.  SCMapDB page Author: Lt.JC Date of release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Hawk (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 16, 2023 | 3883 characters      Black Hawk is a map for Sven Co-op which aims to take inspiration from Shadow Warrior, making a series with a more classic build-engine style.      This build engine inspiration is especially apparent in the flow of the map. There's a lot of key hunting, monsters spawning in a monster-closet-adjacent fashion, and secret hunting for weapons. The two main maps in particular are extremely similar to the first two maps of Shadow Warrior at first glance, with the first map being almost beat-for-beat in terms of progression. I think this key hunt style works great, and my teammate had ment

      Welcome to a scientific facility that looks and feels like Black Mesa but isn't, probably. Fight and scavenge your way up the elevator shaft to an eventual escape. SCmapDB page Author: Agamemnon Date of release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Facility (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 5, 2023 | 3104 characters      Black Facility is a Black Mesa style walkthrough map for Sven Co-op. It is mostly action-oriented, with basic goals delivered through dialogue with scientists, as you make your way to escaping the Black Facility.      The map begins with players at the base of an elevator shaft with some busted up elevators. Through dealing with the scientists, pushing buttons, shooting aliens, and fighting the military. Once you start ascending the elevator shaft, most of the map is hallways, occasional simple arena rooms, making up experiment chambers and living areas. Locker rooms, a cafeteria, console rooms, the works. You fight ab

      This mission has two separate maps, the first one players must take and defend an area. The second map is more of a typical walkthrough map where players clear hallways and reach an objective to end the map. SCMapDB page Author: Buschbaum Date of final release: 2022 Maps in package: 2 Map review of BB Rock Shelter (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | December 10, 2022 | 3660 characters      BB Rock Shelter is a (as of yet) two-part map series for Sven Co-op. The first follows an attack-defend playstyle, while the second is a walkthrough map. Both employ a vanilla sensibility in large, sprawling natural environments with heavy use of sloped terrain. Players are given many assault weapons (assault rifles, shotgun, SAW, explosives), but virtually no accurate long-range weaponry, making the maps very action-first.      The first map involves storming a hill bunker full of grunts. The area leading up to the bunker is mostly a big open desert pathway, but there are rock

       "I've got you now Sonic!" Then the big grinder turns on, blades spin, lasers emit, and lava boils up from the floor. This is a one-room map that ends when players defeat Eggman's machine. SCMapDB page Author: ZpElmO Date of final release: 2018 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Arma-Egg-On (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 8, 2022 | 2452 characters      Arma-Egg-On is an experimental boss battle map for Sven Co-op. Doctor Eggman from Sonic infamy appears in a big brush-based boss battle. It reminds me a bit of the final boss of Commander Keen 3- just a big simple set of moving level objects and weak spots.      The battle works like this: the machine alternates firing lasers from its laser canons, spinning giant blades, and occasionally raising lava from a grate in the ground. My comrade and I were initially misled- in the center of the tower Eggman stands initially in a glass control room before teleporting away. Since this is the control ro