Sven Co-op Map Reviews

        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 dunkelschwamm | April 10, 2023 | 3591 characters      Breakfree is a gimmick map which plays and sounds like an old Sega Genesis boss map. An elevator takes you through a vertical obstacle course- intangible to the elevator, but quite tangible (and deadly!!!) to the player. All of it spectated upon by an evil scientist running an experiment! How does it work?      Well, first of all it doesn't. I'm not going to mince words here- I have a lot more I want to say about this map, but the first thing to mention is that elevators are fucking broken in Sven Co-op and this map relies on elevators a

      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

      Here is a beautiful map with a really well done intro sequence. According to the map description it is abandoned which is a shame since what has been completed is pretty good and well polished. SCMapDB page Author: Vector-T (now known as I-ka) Date of release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa: Getaway (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 10, 2023 | 6990 characters      Black Mesa Getaway is a seemingly abandoned map by I-ka, or VectorT. To save time off the wall of the text that's about to unravel, I will begin with my summarized thoughts: Black Mesa Getaway, while unfinished, offers a slice of tense, simple, beautiful gameplay that utilizes many decisions which I principally disagree with in ways which I subjectively agree with. If you're uninterested in deeper analysis, I'll see you at the bottom paragraph.      Let's unpack that: first, Black Mesa Getaway is unfinished. Indeed, Black Mesa Getaway is a map which con

    Here is a beautiful map with a really well done intro sequence. According to the map description it is abandoned which is a shame since what has been completed is pretty good and well polished. SCMapDB page Author: Vector-T (now known as I-ka) Date of release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa: Getaway (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 10, 2023 | 5419 characters      When we started this map I was convinced it was a converted Half-Life mod. We start in an incredibly dark room and press a button to begin the map proper, after which we are treated to some very nice cutscenes. We have a great pan down a hallway with a fight between human grunts and alien slaves frozen in time, electrical arcs and bullets frozen in the air. Then I actually decide to read the map description and I find out that this is the author's first ever map.      After the intro (complete with some G-man voice lines!) we start in a small room, we both head right int

    Here is a map that is famous in the Sven Co-op community. Players must fight hordes of enemies in a huge arena with lots of vertical elements. Fun custom models representing members of the community (a recent addition, apparently), a kick-ass helicopter, plus music and voiceover really brings this whole map together in an amazing way. SCMapDB page Author: Aurora, JPolito, Puchi, Hydeph Date of release: 2008 Maps in package:1 Map review of Richard Boderman (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 25, 2023 | 4711 characters *!*!*!*300th MAP REVIEW EXTRAVAGANZA*!*!*!*      Richard Boderman is an arena map for Sven Co-op and by now is a certified classic. With the Garompa edit, it's even better. The monsters of the map, both friends and foe, are flavored as members of the community and have models and gimmicks to match. It's both a tremendous celebration of the Sven Co-op community and a really fun way to make this a colorful, interesting map.      T

      Here is a map that is famous in the Sven Co-op community. Players must fight hordes of enemies in a huge arena with lots of vertical elements. Fun custom models representing members of the community (a recent addition, apparently), a kick-ass helicopter, plus music and voiceover really brings this whole map together in an amazing way. SCMapDB page Author: Aurora, JPolito, Puchi, Hydeph Date of release: 2008 Maps in package:1 Map review of Richard Boderman (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 25, 2023 | 4509 characters      Richard Boderman is a pretty famous map and I have just reached the 300th map reviewed milestone so I rustled up a third person and tackled the famous boss battle the map is named after.      The map is a huge circular arena. There are cliffside ramps up the face of the sides and in the central mountain as well as ladders allowing lots of verticality in the map. Various trench systems and bunkers hide supplies and provide cover from the

    Based on a level in Gex by the same name, this map features a rooftop battle in a wacky city that players traverse through platforming and ladders. There is good music but also constant annoying sound effects. SCMapDB page Author: Agent Zero the Koraa Hunter Date of release: 2018 Maps in package:1 Map review of Dial "A" for "Arson" (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 23, 2023 | 5630 characters      Dial "A" For Arson is a Sven Co-op map aiming to recreate a map from Gex. I have not played Gex, but am sorta aware of it, and knowledge that wall-climbing is a major element of Gex was crucial in figuring out the way forward.      The theme is rooftops in an urban skyline at night. Players battle snipers, bodyguards, "city rats" (baby voltigores), "mutants" (baby gargs), and robogrunts. To do this, they use pistols and then MP5, crossbow, sniper, hivehand, SAW, and spore launcher once they're found in

      Based on a level in Gex by the same name, this map features a rooftop battle in a wacky city that players traverse through platforming and ladders. There is good music but also constant annoying sound effects. SCMapDB page Author: Agent Zero the Koraa Hunter Date of release: 2018 Maps in package:1 Map review of Dial "A" for "Arson" (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 23, 2023 | 5903 characters      I played this map and reviewed it a long time ago. I remember it was late at night and my teammate was falling asleep, neither of us had fun and I tore the map to shreds. My teammate didn't review because he remembered none of it. Well, after a revisit I can say that I was wrong. Playing this map while awake was definitely the way to go.      The map starts with a sweet camera flyover of the level, it's based on Gex, a platformer, so there is a lot of platforming showcased. Players pop into existence in a little room above a pile of HEV a

      Black Operations (not to be confused with Blackops, a different map) is a Half-Life mod converted over to Sven Co-op. It uses many new textures along with impressive detail to tell the unnecessary story of how the United States acquired the nuke used to destroy Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original map author: Little_Otis Conversion author: Shinkichi Date of original mod release: 2005 Date of final Sven Map release: 2010 Maps in package: 13 Map review of Black Operations: Special Forces (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 28, 2023 | 6245 characters      Black Operations: Special Forces is a walkthrough mapset which follows the exploits of a Black Operations soldier who gets in way over his head. Throughout there is setpiece after setpiece, lots of very inspired material, some puzzles, great action, and some exquisite aesthetics to tie it together.      Throughout this map players take on the role of a Black Ops grunt. The main way that this affects gameplay

      Black Operations (not to be confused with Blackops, a different map) is a Half-Life mod converted over to Sven Co-op. It uses many new textures along with impressive detail to tell the unnecessary story of how the United States acquired the nuke used to destroy Black Mesa. SCMapDB page Original map author: Little_Otis Conversion author: Shinkichi Date of original mod release: 2005 Date of final Sven Map release: 2010 Maps in package: 13 Map review of Black Operations: Special Forces (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 26, 2023 | 5947 characters      This map series is a conversion of a standalone mod by the same name. We follow a Black Ops soldier named Declan Walker whose job is to plant the nuclear bomb that takes out Black Mesa. The map description says we're getting back a mysterious briefcase from a Black Mesa scientist. Spoilers, but that briefcase is the nuke. We're also in Metro City but manage to plant the bomb in Black Mesa anyway, the story

    Agog means to be very eager to hear or see something. Be agog for this map as it has interesting visuals, puzzles, combat, and some very impressive sequences. Mind the eye strain. SCmapDB page Author: RNG Date of release: 2009 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Psychic Agog (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | January 22, 2023 | 3527 characters      Psychic Agog is a seemingly "beta" map release by RNG. It's been in this state going on 14 years now, so I think it's probably safe to presume RNG's interests have moved on and we can take a look on what this beta release stands to say on its own now.      The map is an action walkthrough with the slightest, slightest hint of a puzzle element. Players traverse a surreal (but not THAT surreal by RNG standards) illusion world which exists as some sort of experiment. Players traverse the initial stage by exploring an open area and solving tiny contextual puzzles in the environment before entering a new

    Agog means to be very eager to hear or see something. Be agog for this map as it has interesting visuals, puzzles, combat, and some very impressive sequences. Mind the eye strain. SCmapDB page Author: RNG Date of release: 2009 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Psychic Agog (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 22, 2023 | 3584 characters     This map is just a beta and is unfortunately never going to be 'finished', however it is still playable and is fairly polished as well. The first half has some trippy scenery followed by some space zombie fighting with cube gathering.      The map starts us out in a big black and white grid field with some basic but evocative geometry. large cubes dot the area along with some floating and gyrating cubes above, some interesting towers and some buildings with obvious purpose. This is a puzzle, an escape room of sorts and it is pretty fun. Each time we solved a piece of it there would be something happening, this map uses

      This map is one big sudoku puzzle. Players spawn cubes with numbers on them via a well made machine complete with deadly doors and neat visuals. The puzzle is the same every time. SCMapDBpage Author: Puchi Date of release: 2012 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Beat this (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 14, 2023 | 2292 characters      Beat This! is Sudoku played using the silly block physics in Sven Co-op. I thought this was going to be an incredible randomized sudoku game, but my teammate confirmed it was the same puzzle the on retrying. Approach a console and spawn a block with a number from a UI. Place the block where it is missing in the sudoku puzzle. Stand on a glass platform overlooking the puzzle to get a better view of the whole thing, and use the laser of a deagle to point to others solving the puzzle. Shoot straight through the glass barrier to mark spots to remember where you wish to place blocks.      I've gotta say, when it comes to pu

      This map is one big sudoku puzzle. Players spawn cubes with numbers on them via a well made machine complete with deadly doors and neat visuals. The puzzle is the same every time. SCMapDBpage Author: Puchi Date of release: 2012 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Beat this (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 14, 2023 | 2204 characters      This map is sudoku. Players spawn in elevator looking things to a big room with a big sudoku board in the middle of the room with holes for the answers. Up top there is a glass platform players can walk on to get a bird's eye view of the board. At the far end of the room is a panel that players use to summon cubes with numbers on them to complete the puzzle. Place the cubes in the correct holes and win! There is also some fun music to boost your morale.      All in all, the map isn't hard. I can imagine with quite a few people that the puzzle would just fly by. When cubes fall into the holes they turn transparent and s

      With a name like Black Mesa Space Basement this map had better be a wacky adventure! It certainly has a lot of wacky custom models and a crazy map layout! SCMapDB page Author: Forastero Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa Space Basement (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 1, 2023 | 3175 characters      Black Mesa Space Basement is a short walkthrough map that makes the most of each encounter by making each enemy's health bar as dense as a neutron star. Most of the charm comes from the spectacle of the enemies faced, and they are faced in mostly simple succession.      First, we fought some zombie skeletons with what we thought was too much health, then some vortigaunts led by a vortigaunt with too much health, then some xenomorphs with probably a bit much health, and the process continued like that. Eventually, the map culminates in a battle with an apache with waaaaaay too much health.      To accommodate for these

      With a name like Black Mesa Space Basement this map had better be a wacky adventure! It certainly has a lot of wacky custom models and a crazy map layout! SCMapDB page Author: Forastero Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa Space Basement (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 1, 2023 | 3133 characters      Black Mesa Space Basement sounds like wacky hijinks, and it kind of is. The level itself is nothing special, some standard Black Mesa hallways, computer rooms, and textures, with tons of props and furniture cluttering everything up. The main feature of the map is the heavy use of new models for the various enemies players must fight. Some models where red skeletons, some were Half-Life 2 antlions, there was a couple of xenomorphs, and even the yellow robot lifter seen once in the opening scene of Half-Life.      Players start out in a room filled with weapons and ammo. This is a pretty good room with plenty of supplies for my

      Welcome to the wonderful world of colors. There are ten doorways to ten different color coded puzzle/fights and one final boss room. This map has outstanding visuals. SCMapDB page Author: Lemonsoda Date of final release: 2010 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Psyko (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | November 20, 2022 | 4504 characters      Psyko is a psychedelic map for Sven Co-op. It is a contest-winning Sven Co-op 5 official map. Is all this prestige deserved? Let's talk about it!      First off, the gameflow is like this: you begin in a square hub area. On each wall is two doors, as well as two hatches on the floor. These doors open to worlds themed after their corresponding color, and after facing some trials you collect the door's symbol. Collecting the symbol unlocks the next door until every symbol is unlocked and the players proceed to the final arena and win the map.      Combat happens in segmented chambers, often involving wave spawners to wai