Half-Life: the opening monorail section showing the G-Man.
Screenshot via Destructoid.

Fun fact: Half-Life could well have been called ‘Fallout’ at one point

Or possibly "Bent." I know, right!

What’s in a name? There are a lot of video game titles that just evoke memories or conjure up the idea of quality. Half-Life is just one example. However, Valve’s first-ever game could easily have been called something else.

Recommended Videos

In a recent YouTube video from Valve level designer Dario Casali, it turns out Half-Life nearly wasn’t called Half-Life at all. Casali begins his developer commentary – as part of the game’s 25th anniversary celebrations – by showing a list of names that were suggested.

Of the most popular ones, titles like “Dirt,” “Lead,” “Pressure Chamber,” “Screwed,” and even “Bent” were bandied around. Perhaps most interestingly, in a runners-up list, the word “Fallout” can be seen, along with “Adrenaline,” “Unstable Element,” and even just “Death.”

Would have been a bit confusing

What’s also intriguing is that Half-Life is on this lower list, suggesting that it wasn’t even a popular name being suggested. As a side note, Casali believes the team should have called it Screwed, adding that “it would have been amazing.”

It also would have been interesting if the studio had gone with Fallout. Considering the actual Fallout game came out a year before HL, there’s a good chance there would have been some issues. Or at least some confusion.

The rest of this opening chapter of Casali’s playthrough is pretty good as well. He gives a bit of insight into what the purpose of the iconic monorail opening was, aside from setting the scene. We take it for granted these days, but Valve really wanted to show off new technologies, such as light shafts, scripted sequences, and new skeletal models, and this intro was a way to show these things off.


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Andrew Heaton
Andrew Heaton
Andrew has been a gamer since the 17th century Restoration period. He now writes for a number of online publications, contributing news and other articles. He does not own a powdered wig.