Former Valve employee and designer of levels in the first Half-Life game, Dario Casali, recently revisited the game on his own YouTube channel. He not only played through the game but also provided commentary on how each level was designed. This was done to commemorate the game’s 25th anniversary.
Casali’s video is particularly intriguing because he delved into old files while naming the game. Valve employees brainstormed various names, including CrYsis (spelled in different ways like Cry.Sys, Crisis, and Krisis), as well as Fallout. Interestingly, one of these names coincidentally matched another game released around the same time (the first Fallout game was released in 1997, just one year before Half-Life).
Among the names that received high scores among the employees during that period were Bent, Dirt, Lead, Pressure, and Screwed. Casali humorously mentioned that it was difficult to imagine how these names would fare in the market if they were actually used.
TLDR: Dario Casali, former Valve employee, revisited the first Half-Life game on his YouTube channel, providing commentary on the level designs. While naming the game, Casali stumbled upon potential names like CrYsis and Fallout, coincidentally matching other games released at the time. The Valve employees also brainstormed names such as Bent, Dirt, Lead, Pressure, and Screwed, which Casali humorously reflected on regarding their potential market appeal.
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