Sven Co-op Map Reviews

    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

    There is only a little bit of Black Mesa in this map, but plenty of arenas, 17 in total. Players go from one arena to the next clearing them out with some light platforming in some areas plus plenty of hidden stuff to find. SCMapDB page Author: IT_Skino Date of release: 2016 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Black Mesa Arena (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 20, 2023 | 4887 characters      Black Mesa Arena is a two-map set for Sven Co-op wherein players battle through multiple arenas using lots of weaponry against lots of enemies. Is it any good?      The first map is often a bit spartan in appearance, taking a brutalist minimalist approach to a lot of the arenas. Players are given all of the boilerplate weaponry early on, and face huge onslaughts of enemies. At first it seemed possibly overbearing, but through cunning and grit just two players managed to survive pretty well through a lot of these encounters. Every enemy in Santa's bag is fe

      There is only a little bit of Black Mesa in this map, but plenty of arenas, 17 in total. Players go from one arena to the next clearing them out with some light platforming in some areas plus plenty of hidden stuff to find. SCMapDB page Author: IT_Skino Date of release: 2016 Maps in package: 2 Map review of Black Mesa Arena (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 20, 2023 | 4034 characters      Black Mesa Arenas is title with three words I dread when I see Sven Co-op maps. The screenshots and the description didn't help. But I must admit to my first impression being totally wrong, which is something I have found happens a lot.      The map description says it all, there are 17 arenas to fight in. These arenas are usually pretty simple with the best looking ones evoking an overlarge liminal feel. Some arenas look better than others, like the graveyard was pretty fun but then there are a bunch that have spike pits ringing the outside that are just big bl

    Whenever a map comes to a close and transitions to the next map we have a good chance of that next map being Black Mesa EPF. It's a well made if not boilerplate Black Mesa adventure easily accessible to all players. I don't know what EPF stands for. SCMapDB page Author: Mutant Date of release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa EPF (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 19, 2023 | 5067 characters      Black Mesa EPF is one of the maps that comes with Sven Co-op. It's a very competently made Black Mesa corridor hub action-walkthrough map with a mission system. What does it do that other Black Mesa maps don't? Does it stand out enough to be a default map?      Well, the aforementioned mission system is a sign of where I think this map excels. Even when progress isn't clear, progress is clear enough to find fast. The mission texts and some cutaway scenes help convey what needs to be done next. The hub structure of the m

      Whenever a map comes to a close and transitions to the next map we have a good chance of that next map being Black Mesa EPF. It's a well made if not boilerplate Black Mesa adventure easily accessible to all players. I don't know what EPF stands for. SCMapDB page Author: Mutant Date of release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Mesa EPF (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 19, 2023 | 4060 characters      Here we have a classic, and official, Sven Co-op map where we teleport to Black Mesa and then escape. We fight plenty of aliens, mostly the ones from Opposing Force like pit drones and shock troopers.      Players spawn in on teleport pads and then cross a bridge to a supply room. Weapons and ammo are on big shelves and we have to crouch in them to suck up all the good stuff. Then we go downstairs and fight some stuff. Across the hall is a room that has a security office with an HEV station and a sniper rifle. The map opens up aroun

    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

      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 GrandmasterJ | March 19, 2023 | 2966 characters      In Labflee we flee a lab. There isn't a story attached so I like to assume we're aliens, but not xen aliens since they are out sole enemy. The map is a walkthrough map with a central hub providing access to the different areas. Doors to new areas open up as we clear other areas out.      Players spawn inside the spawn exit sprites, it can be disorienting. There is a table with an mp5 and one magazine for it, shotgun and one box of shells, and crossbow with one magazine. I sucked it all up in front of my teammate's eyes and since the weapons don't stay he had to wait for them all of that to respawn b

      Fight a tiny city, then fight robots in the tiny city. The map is small, practically a box, and sized to make players feel huge. SCMapDB page Author: Lymphoid Date of release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Gundam City (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 18, 2023 | 2394 characters      Gundam is a map for Sven Co-op which takes place in a destructible "city" made of gridded boxes in a big rockwall-surrounded area. A UFO drops infinite baby headcrabs, and after some time a squad of robogrunts attack and need some killing. Destroying one of the buildings yields a shotgun and MP5, which are crucial for surviving the robogrunts. Another building reveals some snarks, which are also extremely useful in dealing with the issue. As the robogrunts spawn in, players can find themselves spawnkilled to oblivion by a half-dozen robogrunts just sauntering around an outdoor area where the players spawn, but with some grit you can run to the weapo

      Fight a tiny city, then fight robots in the tiny city. The map is small, practically a box, and sized to make players feel huge. SCMapDB page Author: Lymphoid Date of release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Gundam City (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | November 29, 2021 | 2276 characters      This is a short and simple map with a fun gimmick. I love maps with a single focused gimmick and I think this one does it pretty well. I originally reviewed this map at the listed date, but have since edited it on 3/18/2023.      So you are in a map with a small city and enemies spawn in to attack you. The map description says 'you may choose to destroy the city' but let me tell you, if you are not destroying the city you are playing this map wrong. It's incredible fun blowing skyscrapers up and smashing things. Whenever an enemy would destroy a building I would get offended because that is what I am there to do.      The enemies are robo grunt

    Stomp around a tiny city like Japan's favorite Kaiju. There are four maps of increasing Godzillaty destruction in a fullbright expanding city, but they don't transition to one another. SCMapDB page Author: Lymphoid Date of release: 2002 Maps in package:4 Map review of Godzilla (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 18, 2023 | 2671 characters      Very simple setup here: Godzilla is a set of 4 toy maps wherein you can destroy a tiny city. These are tiny cities as conceived of by children- just stretches of grass with giant blocks of grid pattern. But, each of those blocks can be destroyed with enough whacks of a crowbar!      The first map is as simple as can be: destroy all of the buildings. There are some other destructibles like trees and roads, but you just destroy everything. There is nothing else. Not even a map end.      The second verse is very much same as the first: second map is the same thing, but players can also fight a vortigau

      Stomp around a tiny city like Japan's favorite Kaiju. There are four maps of increasing Godzillaty destruction in a fullbright expanding city, but they don't transition to one another. SCMapDB page Author: Lymphoid Date of release: 2002 Maps in package:4 Map review of Godzilla (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 18, 2023 | 2802 characters      Godzilla is a collection of four maps, each on an escalation of players destroying a city.      The first map is a small city. The map may be small and there may not be a lot of buildings, but there are some very big buildings that take a lot of hits to destroy. Also the map uses stock textures and the skyscrapers use that concrete ceiling with the squares that kinda look like windows. After destroying all the buildings the map does not end and I have to manually switch to the next one.      The next map is like three times as big, players have to crawl through a tiny cave (or platform up some skyscrap

      Old school classic Frogger, hop across the freeway and a river to reach some buttons, press them all to go to the next round. Any misstep and you will die horribly. SCMapDB page Author: LentoMan Date of release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Frogger (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 18, 2023 | 3162 characters      Frogger is a 3-tiered arcade "puzzle" "skill" game map for Sven Co-op.      The setup is simple: run past 4 lanes of speeding cars, reach the dock, then jump across 4 lanes of giant logs in quick-kill water to 4 button alcoves. Hit the button, get killed, start over, hit all the buttons, end the round. The next round is more complicated: the second round adds invincible turrets which the players must distract using the hivehand- really creative! The third round adds an RPG to explode the turrets, shortly followed by a crossbow to sniperfight snipers who appear in the button alcoves. With that completed, the m

      Old school classic Frogger, hop across the freeway and a river to reach some buttons, press them all to go to the next round. Any misstep and you will die horribly. SCMapDB page Author: LentoMan Date of release: 2004 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Frogger (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 18, 2023 | 2794 characters      I felt a bit of deja vu when I saw this map, I had previously seen it in another map by the same author, retrohunt. That map was duck hunt fused with frogger, but this map is all frogger.      Players have to traverse a very busy and deadly street and then jump across logs in a poison river and jump into alcoves to press buttons. Pressing all four buttons ends the round and there are three rounds. Turrets and weapons start appearing in round 2 and the map gets quite difficult. I had racked up about 60 deaths myself from just running into traffic and hails of gunfire. The map uses a clever mechanic where turrets will shoot at bees f

    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

      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 GrandmasterJ | March 16, 2023 | 7587 characters      I haven't played much Shadow Warrior and as a result I suck at it. This map is a lot like its source material, at least according to my teammate who saw the inspiration right away, it has challenging combat in some areas and a lot of annoying key hunt elements. There are three maps in total, the first and second are walkthrough maps that pick up right after the other and are built very similar to levels in Shadow Warrior. Then there was the bonus map that was a brutal platforming co-op journey.      We spawn in a street, for various reasons my teammate and I went afk for a bit and I ca

    Players get dropped, quite literally, into a wreck building and must kill hundreds of zombies with a lot of health. New areas open up at certain milestones and then there is a boss. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Haze (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 12, 2023 | 4018 characters      Black Haze is a zombie horde survival map. Players must survive 3 rounds of seemingly endless 1000 hp "zoomies" zombies (as my teammate and I called them, on account of their zooming speed). To combat them, players can scavenge a veritable arsenal from the area we explore.      The area to explore is a "building in ruins". My teammate and I both had the initial impression of it being a shopping mall due to its layout and the beginning taking place in some sort of plaza, but there are strange autopsy tables in most of the rooms so maybe not a shopping mall. It's brushed decently enough, bu

      Players get dropped, quite literally, into a wreck building and must kill hundreds of zombies with a lot of health. New areas open up at certain milestones and then there is a boss. SCMapDB page Author: Ice Box Date of release: 2011 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Black Haze (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 12, 2023 | 3209 characters      Both the map description and the message of the day is somewhat vague on what is expected of the players. This map is a wave defense map where players have to kill a set number of zombies to unlock the next stage. This particular map has three areas and ends after a boss.      I played this with one other person and it was slow and boring. The zombies have 1000 health each and are extremely fast. With a lot of players I can see fun gameplay with people gunning down zombie swarms but all the weapons were scattered around and there was a shortage of ammo. Most of the time when I would spawn in I would run to the nea