Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       Alamo is a level taken from the Half-Life mod Heart of Darkness. Unlike other mod conversions to Sven this is just the one level taken out of context. It's set somewhere in Asia, not Texas. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: foolish_mortal Conversion authors: Trempler Date of original mod release: 2002 Date of final Sven Map release: 2016 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Alamo (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 27, 2022 | 3882 characters      So, the map is a Heart of Evil map I gather with a bunch of new shit added to it. Because of that, it takes the form of a Vietnam war style scenario but with alien attacks added.      First off, the brushwork is great. Heart of Evil was a pretty primo mod to begin with, but it's been too long so I can't quite remember any of this from the original mod. That said, still: the urban warfare is felt in collapsing buildings and intricate brushwork mixing heaps of debris with crumbling architecture. The texture

      Alamo is a level taken from the Half-Life mod Heart of Darkness. Unlike other mod conversions to Sven this is just the one level taken out of context. It's set somewhere in Asia, not Texas. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: foolish_mortal Conversion authors: Trempler Date of original mod release: 2002 Date of final Sven Map release: 2016 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Alamo (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 27, 2022 | 6472 characters      The point of Alamo is to assault what appears to be a ruined military base, but not the actual Alamo. The map is from the mod Heart of Evil so it must be meant evoke a feeling of being in Vietnam, the player spawn is in a multi-tier rice paddy so right off the bat it does give players an Asian vibe.      When the map starts there are some friendly NPCs. My teammate and I spent some time messing around before the map started and eventually enemies invaded spawn and started shooting at us. I imagine our allies ran st

       Affliction is a standalone mod converted to Sven Co-op set in Black Mesa. There are a lot of maps for Sven with the same story, this one is fairly standard. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Toni Hiltunen Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2002 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Affliction (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 19, 2022 | 3871 characters      Affliction is a Half-Life mod which was converted and updated, here, for Sven Co-op. This conversion features two maps which seem to combine the maps of the original mod at teleport points. The maps still feel mostly balanced for a single player, with fire fights coming in short, easy bursts often. The levels, for taking place almost entirely in interior settings, feel open and breezy, with breakable glass partitions allowing the interior spaces to breathe even more. Mix in some scripted peaceful NPC interactions and a cinematic opening sequen

      Affliction is a standalone mod converted to Sven Co-op set in Black Mesa. There are a lot of maps for Sven with the same story, this one is fairly standard. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Toni Hiltunen Conversion authors: Outerbeast Date of original mod release: 2002 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Affliction (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 19, 2022 | 3285 characters      This map set started off on a really cool car crash that send players down into a tunnel. It's a fun scripted event. Unfortunately survival mode is on by default. I usually turn that off when I play, the first map was fine, there was only one death between my teammate and I. The second map however has some brutal poison followed by a heavy weapons grunt which killed us a lot, making disabling survival mode a must. My first death on this map set was from climbing inside a destroyed computer, the bottom of the computer was concave and I was fa

       Galleon is a converted Counter-Strike map with enemies and some weapons scattered around. There are quite a few Counter-Strike map conversions but it is so nice to see one that's not meant for PVP. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: PhantomLord Conversion authors: kmkz Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Galleon (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 13, 2022 | 3456 characters      Galleon is, if I understand correctly, a conversion of a Counter-Strike map littered with enemies and scripted weapons. The scripted weapons act much like Counter-Strike weapons and include such hits as: the Mac-10, the AK-47, the Famas, the Fiveseven, the Deagle, the Knife, the P90, and some wonky-ass grenades. The enemies compose mostly of BlackOps snipers, HECU grunts, Heavy Weapons guys, assassins, robogrunts, Otises, and Barnies.      The map begins with the players on the other side of some harbor buildi

      Galleon is a converted Counter-Strike map with enemies and some weapons scattered around. There are quite a few Counter-Strike map conversions but it is so nice to see one that's not meant for PVP. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: PhantomLord Conversion authors: kmkz Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Galleon (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 13, 2022 | 2947 characters      This map is a conversion of a Counter-Strike map. Unlike other conversions of CS maps this one actually has enemies and is modified for cooperative play. There are around 100 enemies in the map and players must hunt them all down.      The map is expansive with plenty to see. Some of the architecture looks bad, like the staircases. Some of the hallways are really narrow with lots of twists and turns. In a competitive map these features would add to the challenge but in Sven the map gets more annoying the more ti

       Big Lolly is a conversion of a standalone mod made for the author's brother's birthday. It's short and sweet,  pun intended . SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Cayle George Conversion authors: Royal-soldier Date of original mod release: 2003 Date of final Sven Map release: 2009 Maps in package: 6 Map review of Biglolly Coop (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 30, 2022 | 3752 characters      Biglolly Coop is a Sven Co-op port of the Half-Life mod Big Lolly. My understanding is that Big Lolly was originally made as a birthday gift to the author's brother. If my brother were to make a mod like this for me, I wouldn't even know what to say.      The port is very straight-forward and faithfully plays out the original mod in Sven Co-op. I remember playing this port a while back and having difficulty with it, but seeing that it has been patched makes sense as to why this time around the experience was so smooth and flawless. I do have to say,

      Big Lolly is a conversion of a standalone mod made for the author's brother's birthday. It's short and sweet, pun intended . SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Cayle George Conversion authors: Royal-soldier Date of original mod release: 2003 Date of final Sven Map release: 2009 Maps in package: 6 Map review of Biglolly Coop (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 30, 2022 | 1854 characters      Biglolly is a map that looks really good. The textures are nice, the level design is interesting, and the candyland concept is really fun. The map series may consist of 5 maps but each one is so short the whole thing just flies by. Enemies are zombies reskinned to be gingerbread men, headcrabs reskinned to be red gummy bears, and cockroaches reskinned to be tiny sour patch kids. There are also some nice butterflies flying around the maps and players can pick up snarks which are green gummy bears. The crowbar was a lollipop and the pistol was a banana, there wer

       This map looks awesome. I mean look at that screenshot, it's a giant mech with enormous guns stomping all around and the player has a rocket launcher. There are some other things in the map set but just look at that mech. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Jedidiah Clay Kirchner Conversion authors: Garompa Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Mechanized Death: Army of None (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 23, 2022 | 7186 characters      Mechanized Death: Army of None is… quite a project. From what I can gather from the reading, it's a conversion of a separate mod by one Jed Kirchner. I researched a bit further to learn about what this port does different from Mechanized Death: Army of None. I'll make notes throughout the review about this, but first and foremost this is a review of the Sven Co-op port of Mechanized Death: Army of None as its own experience as a Sven Co-op ma

      This map looks awesome. I mean look at that screenshot, it's a giant mech with enormous guns stomping all around and the player has a rocket launcher. There are some other things in the map set but just look at that mech. SCMapDB page Original mod authors: Jedidiah Clay Kirchner Conversion authors: Garompa Date of original mod release: 2001 Date of final Sven Map release: 2021 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Mechanized Death: Army of None (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | January 23, 2022 | 5236 characters      The screenshots looked good, I wanted to fight a giant mech, I was so excited for this map. There are two maps in this set, and only one contains a giant mech, so it was a little bit of a letdown.      The first map is forgettable and I question why it was there at all. Players first have to climb a shelf right in the beginning and I had a lot of trouble with it. The goemetry was all weird, there were two shelves and one didn't seem to want to let

       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

       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