Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       The map description really says it all: "Nobody knows what this map is about, or why it is called g-man". It's a strange, early map made by an unknown author that found its way onto the map database and now it's getting reviewed. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of G-man (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 27, 2023 | 1869 characters      G-Man is a map that exists without much purpose other than entropy. One of those maps that doesn't really end- it just becomes empty except for the players which dance ineffectively on its corpse.      The visuals are that of a desert valley perfectly contoured to lead players through a linear combat path: first flanked on either sides on the opposite end of a tunnel by HECU grunts; then in a dark tunnel by fassns; then outside, by turrets and even MORE fassns. The natural landscape is only minorly marred by its clunky turn-of-the-...

      The map description really says it all: " Nobody knows what this map is about, or why it is called g-man". It's a strange, early map made by an unknown author that found its way onto the map database and now it's getting reviewed. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of G-man (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 27, 2023 | 1248 characters      The map description sums up this map pretty well. We start off in some sort of canyon with a tunnel in front of us, there are weapons on the ground including an rpg. We go through a bend and fight some human grunts as we cross a bridge past a room with a ton of supplies. Then we fight female assassins and turrets. The map has no end.      I started noclipping around just to see if there was anything else I should see, there is a lot of Z-fighting when seen from above and I also saw a wall stretched to infinity, something happened to this...

       Lobby maps are for players to pick their next map. The Single Player Campaign Portal map is a really well done example and its mere existence pretty much makes this map obsolete. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Choose Campaign (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 7, 2023 | 1824 characters      Choose Campaign! Two lobby maps wherein players vote for a map to play.      choose_campaign_2 is a simple functional hub wherein players can stand in lots to vote for which specific map from the three main campaigns the players want. Voting lasts for roughly 2 minutes, after which point whichever map has the most votes wins. The server will then switch to that map.      choose_campaign_4a is a far more interesting map, though it gives players far less finesse in which map they wish to vote for. There are instead lots for voting for Half-Life, Half-Life: Blu...

      Lobby maps are for players to pick their next map. The Single Player Campaign Portal map is a really well done example and its mere existence pretty much makes this map obsolete. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Choose Campaign (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 2, 2023 | 2347 characters      I feel weird reviewing maps that have been made obsolete by newer maps. It doesn't really matter how good this map is, players probably won't play it because the successor is an upgrade. I'm a bit relieved that this map is obviously inferior, it's split up into two maps, the first one (helpfully named '2') lets us choose between chapters in the big three, Half-Life, Blue Shift, and Opposing Force. The second map is a much smaller single room affair that starts the same campaigns plus They Hunger, Half-Life Instinct, and I think two others that I didn't recognize and did not care about.  ...

       Ride on a helicopter, sans Wagner, and shoot down at the enemies below. Occasionally enemy helicopters will appear but there is a rocket launcher on the map so they go down easy. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Chopper Ride (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 2, 2023 | 1898 characters      The Chopper Ride is a nonstop action map starring a brush helicopter and a donut of desert around a mountain full of respawning HECU. If that sounds awesome to you, you're in for a treat.      I think the Chopper Ride is truly made for people who like Michael Bay movies and want to play that feeling. Grab a bunch of weapons, ride around on an invincible helicopter raining hell down on, uh, enemy combatants forever. One part of the desert donut has a respawning apache so your helicopter can fight another helicopter like a mirror fight. There's not very much to it, outside of t...

      Ride on a helicopter, sans Wagner, and shoot down at the enemies below. Occasionally enemy helicopters will appear but there is a rocket launcher on the map so they go down easy. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Chopper Ride (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 2, 2023 | 1522 characters      This is a very simple but fun horde map where players get to fly a helicopter on a fixed route around a big arena filled with human grunts and sometimes apaches. Players spawn up top on a cliff and there is a path around the center of the map in a big donut where all the enemies are, opposite player spawn is another cliff we can access the chopper.      The map has some ok weapons, in spawn we get a crossbow, rocket launcher, underbarrel grenades (which come with an M16), and an uzi. The chopper starts here but it can be controlled like any other func_vehicle so any player can drive...

       We have another Carnival map, but I don't think this one is a sequel as the author is unknown. It has some fun rides that work well when they aren't killing players. Beware spawning in the ceiling. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Carnival 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | June 26, 2023 | 2948 characters      Carnival 2 is a map apparently by an unknown author. I guess that means it's not an official, canonical sequel to Carnival by Kune. This map works a bit as a spiritual successor, in that it follows a similar premise. However, this time around the map functions purely as a hangout map and not as a walkthrough action map.      The rides are front-and-center on this map. Though there is a barely functional skee ball game in a cellar beneath a desert butte, just about everything else in this map that cries "carnival" is crying it through jankily constructed carn...

      We have another Carnival map, but I don't think this one is a sequel as the author is unknown. It has some fun rides that work well when they aren't killing players. Beware spawning in the ceiling. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Carnival 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | June 26, 2023 | 2338 characters      This is a fun little map with some carnival rides scattered around. We have a roller coaster thing, one of those centrifugal force spinners, skee-ball, a big arm thing, a dunk tank, and a ferris wheel.      I spawned inside a ceiling. For those of you who don't know, pressing 'L' will unstick the player. This is vital to respawning because of the spawn point above the skee-ball. There is another spawn point on top of a rock wall, the spawn points are very strange in this map.      But after I pressed L and unstuck myself I found all the rides were re...

      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 z...

      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 pla...

      The whole map is a skatepark, with one half indoors in what one would call a big room, and the other half is outdoors. There is a drivable skateboard but it is on a track and does not go outside. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2001 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Big Room Guy 3 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 11, 2023 | 2477 characters      Big Room Guy 3 is a hangout map for Sven Co-op featuring two skateparks and one skateboard between them- and NO they may not share. Skate around inside of an indoor skatepark, becoming the envy of your friends and enemies alike. Walk around in an outdoor skatepark, wistfully wishing you either could bring the skateboard outside or at least open any of the doors out here.      The indoor skatepark includes the basic accoutrement one may expect: rails, quarterpipes ramps, the works. There's also a bar with taps which make funny sounds. This int...

      The whole map is a skatepark, with one half indoors in what one would call a big room, and the other half is outdoors. There is a drivable skateboard but it is on a track and does not go outside. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of release: 2001 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Big Room Guy 3 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 11, 2023 | 1750 characters      This map is a pretty cool skate park. There are two areas, an indoor park complete with bar area and rideable skateboard, and an outdoor park with no interactive things but it does have enticing doors that to not go anywhere.      The rideable skateboard is pretty cool, it's stuck to a track and rides around the level, going up and down ramps. It will absolute splatter anybody who gets in the way. The rest of the map is just half-pipes, rails, and other constructions that aren't really fun to interact with in the goldsrc engine. That skateboard i...

      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 dunkelschwamm | February 11, 2023 | 1555 characters      Big Penis is a hangout map for Sven Co-op. It creates a quaint island setting complete with a jacuzzi, tent, porta potty, towel robot, boombox, torches, and campfire. The boombox inside of the tent, as well as a p...

      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...

       This map is a nightclub that is locked up tight unless somebody goes through the secret way in and mans the ticket booth. The map has a dance floor with limited music mixing and a few other things. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Big Room Guy 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | October 27, 2022 | 3454 characters      Big Room Guy 2 is a party server map, complete with secret VIP passages and a barrier to entry to ensure exclusivity.      The map is a very simple club. Players enter into a queue at a gate and a person behind a ticket booth opens and closes it for them. This does have to a player operating the booth from the other side, and the inside of the booth is only accessible from the admin room, so knowledge on how to enter the secret admin room from the waiting area is necessary before the map can really begin. So, I'm going to disclose that here- the...

      This map is a nightclub that is locked up tight unless somebody goes through the secret way in and mans the ticket booth. The map has a dance floor with limited music mixing and a few other things. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: 2002 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Big Room Guy 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | October 22, 2022 | 3464 characters     This map looks fun, we start up and spawn in a small red room. Just inside the door is a line for a ticket booth, we can't jump over the ropes or the gate, we are trapped. So I go to the comments to see what's up and here is BlueSpark to the rescue. I can't explain it any better so I'm just going to copy and paste the whole thing right here: "..It's just rather exclusive! Club goers can only be admitted by the person inside the ticket booth. The booth can only be accessed from the admin room - how do you get into the admin room? Well, in this map not all walls are as soli...

       This map has three rooms and two combat encounters, it is insanely short. After fighting through generic Half-Life hallways players enter a vent and end the map, that is it. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | October 2, 2022 | 2107 characters      Battle (or 2battle) is a very, very brief walkthrough map wherein players must face two ambushes with heavy resistance. It's somewhat noobish in brushwork design, evoking a blocky and janky Black Mesa lab corridor with uneven and unnaturally thin surfaces. Hgrunts break in through a skylight in a paper-thin ceiling. It's ambitious for what the quality of map would suggest the mapper is capable of.      As mentioned, the first ambush involves rappelling HECU, but it also includes about four turrets. This is a heavy battle with lots of resistance for two players, but it is pos...

      This map has three rooms and two combat encounters, it is insanely short. After fighting through generic Half-Life hallways players enter a vent and end the map, that is it. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | October 2, 2022 | 1188 characters     T he map description said the map was short and I can confirm the map is very short. It is essentially three rooms, spawn, a room full of human soldiers, and then a room full of aliens. Players get access to a shotgun with very limited ammo, and an mp5 with a couple boxes of ammo. In the last room, with the aliens, is a vent that changed the map to svencoop1 when I climbed into it.      That's the whole map, I have described everything that happens in it. The map is your standard Black Mesa paint job and the enemies just spawn in big clumps. The action was fast paced enough that I died b...

       A big room with columns arranged in a grid, between each group of columns is a breakable barrel. Each barrel is worth one point and a door is supposed to open exposing the map end. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barrels (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | October 1, 2022 | 1323 characters      Barrels is a fun little map where it spawns a whole bunch of barrels in a grid and gives you ever weapon to deal with them. It's fun to try to compete with your teammates to destroy the most barrels. Since they're in a grid, it's pretty easy to line a bunch up and take out a whole bunch with a fast-firing accurate weapon like the gauss gun or the egon gun, or even the SAW. The map is done up in antique brick, and it looks really nice.      Unfortunately, when we completed the map the exit door did not open. Using noclip, we were able to inside of the wall we were abl...

      A big room with columns arranged in a grid, between each group of columns is a breakable barrel. Each barrel is worth one point and a door is supposed to open exposing the map end. SCMapDB page Author: Unknown Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barrels (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | October 1, 2022 | 1886 characters      I thought this map was going to be a Mario Party esque minigame where we break a bunch of barrels and I was not disappointed. Players spawn in individual cells that all open at the same time, unleashing players on a large pillared room with tons of barrels in it with some intense music in the background. We had every weapon with full ammo so no worries about firepower. Each barrel awards players one point, at the end my teammate and I both had 54 points, so I guess that means there are 108 barrels in the map.      I noticed the map has a changelog where supposedly the door ...