Sven Co-op Map Reviews

      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

       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

       Space Viking 2 is the classic sequel to the classic map Space Viking 1. While the first map takes place in space a majority of the time this one takes us to a space port, filled with scum and villainy. SCMapDB page Author: Salamander Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Space Viking 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | December 12, 2021 | 7549 characters      Space Viking 2 is a very adequate, I would even say great, sequel to Space Viking 1 which takes the idea of the original map in new and interesting directions. By exploring a new planet, new and interesting areas of the original ship, and introducing setpieces which wow the player to extremes to which the original had not, Space Viking 2 really forges an identity for itself apart from its predecessor.      I'll get to the many ways in which I think this map is an extraordinary accomplishment in Sven Co-op, or even Goldsrc in general, mapping- but first I'd like to express a fe

      Space Viking 2 is the classic sequel to the classic map Space Viking 1. While the first map takes place in space a majority of the time this one takes us to a space port, filled with scum and villainy. SCMapDB page Author: Salamander Date of final release: 2006 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Space Viking 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | December 12, 2021 | 7132 characters      Space Viking 2 captures the same great look and feel of the first map, only slightly less well. I had an absolute blast playing this map.      The map starts off similarly to the first one, walking out of the spawn (no weapon this time except a crowbar on the floor) to the bridge and witnessing a scene that sets up the map. This time our tentacled host teleports over to a spaceport in order to talk trade before getting kidnapped and the ship is boarded.      The opening fight is hard with crowbars only and with just one person could get frustrating. Thankfully it doesn't last long b

       POW is a bombastic map, from the crazy map description to the crazy above screenshot. POW is an action packed prison break map with some good looking set pieces.  SCMapDB page Author: Necromancer Date of final release: 2012 Maps in package: 1 Map review of POW in the Year 3910 (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | December 11, 2021 | 3686 characters      POW in the year 3910 has a charmingly silly and nonexplanatory story in the MOTD which I urge any and all players to check out before rushing in.      POW in the year 3910 is a very competently designed, paced, and brushed walkthough map which is fun for any number of players. Locked in a futuristic prison, the players must fight their way through guards, mutants, and robots big and small to escape. The map is quick to jump into action, has frenetic gameplay enhanced with easily-gibbed enemies. There are a lot of models here that I recognize from other maps, including the gonome-based licker from one of the Resident

      Libraries are good settings for video games. There's just something about blowing off the head of an alien onto a shelf packed with books. Library is all about being in a library. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of final release: 2012 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Library (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | December 5, 2021 | 1679 characters      Library is a walkthrough map which takes the player through some environments which expand on Half-Life's default look enough to have a lot of its own personality. Interesting brushwork mixes with fun lighting.      The stated goal of the map is to kill off a bunch of monsters from Xen in a big library. To this end the map employs plenty of vortigaunts, alien controllers, and pit drones in battle conditions which interact very interestingly with their strengths in different combinations. The map also gives the players new respawn points as they make progress so the action never has to slow down.      In additio

      Libraries are good settings for video games. There's just something about blowing off the head of an alien onto a shelf packed with books. Library is all about being in a library. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of final release: 2012 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Library (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | December 5, 2021 | 2091 characters      This map is really well done. It's a little short and the cutscenes run a little long, but I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed all the production value put into this.      The map starts out in a long cutscene. It's a very nice cutscene but it ran a little bit too long. The spawn area has plenty of HEV and ammo with the starting weapons, and then has a teleporter that will update to whatever area the players are at. I always really appreciate a checkpoint system, this wins big points with me. This is all very smooth, intuitive, and convenient.      Right after the teleport you end up in a nice looking library t