"The Freeman!"

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Wackymon

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Jul 22, 2011
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So, in another thread, someone mentioned that everyone loved Gordon Freeman, then another person criticized this statement. I do not know where I read this, but it got me wondering:
Tell me, what do you think of Gordon Freeman?
 

tippy2k2

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Mar 15, 2008
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A big ol' giant "Meh"

He's not a terrible character but he's like Master Chief: You are supposed to become them so they have next to no personality. You are not playing as Gordon Freeman but as yourself.

So I don't love him but I don't hate him. He's an OK character made much stronger by his cast. My God...Gordon might be Batman!

Think about it...alone, Batman is not a terribly interesting character. However, his cast around him lifts him up so high that he becomes something awesome. That's what Gordon is!
 

Rock-nerd

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Apr 6, 2012
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I like him because, yeah, he may be a nerd, but he's a nerd we all want to be, awesome goatee, badass glasses and really skilled with a crowbar. Who doesn't like that?
 

Andy Shandy

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Jun 7, 2010
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I like him because he looks like two of my favourite people.

Hugh Laurie



and Paul Saunders from Loading Ready Run (or at least he did when Paul had his beard)



Plus the fact he's in a great game with a great cast also helps.
 

Shadowstar38

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Jul 20, 2011
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He's not a character. He's a player avatar you cant customize.

-Never says anything
-We never know what he's thinking
-Has no solid motivation to do any of the things he's doing

He's just your average silent protagonist in the same vain of every other FPS that uses them.
 

Rose and Thorn

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May 4, 2012
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I think to ask if you like Gordon Freeman, that is like asking, "do you like yourself?".

Essentially you are Gordon Freeman when you play those games. Every thought he has is your thought, every action.

The only thing you could ask about him is if you like how he looks, because that is all there is.
 

Karoshi

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Jul 9, 2012
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Shadowstar38 said:
He's not a character. He's a player avatar you cant customize.

-Never says anything
-We never know what he's thinking
-Has no solid motivation to do any of the things he's doing

He's just your average silent protagonist in the same vain of every other FPS that uses them.
I have to disagree with you. He might be as much a blank slate as humanly possible, but that's not everything there is. He is a former scientist (smart?) who despite receiving little physical training accomplished almost impossible tasks.

Gordon Freeman has a lot in common with his crowbar. A crowbar is a tool for daily routine, manual and boring work. Yet in the right hands, it can kill friggin aliens and zombies. Freeman is a normal guy who became a hero. He never gained any supernatural powers and any other person could have followed in his footsteps.

Yet nobody did.

The player is supposed to fill the blank space himself and make up his own mind on who Freeman is. Most people don't and that's alright, but I highly enjoyed doing that.

As for his motivations... I dunno, most people would want to stop the annhilation of the human race, wouldn't they? Sound pretty solid to me.
 

dimensional

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Jun 13, 2011
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I have no real like or dislike for him as such I just see him as a complete non entity in that he has no personality and the fact that you know what he looks like and what he was/is puts him in that awkward position of not being someone I can project onto easily but also someone who isnt an established character with their own goals and motivations sure you can invent some for him and the game encourages this but these are your motivations. They should have gone one way or the other imo but whatever it works in a way its just that you could replace him with any character model and it wouldnt matter.

basically what this person said

Shadowstar38 said:
He's not a character. He's a player avatar you cant customize.

-Never says anything
-We never know what he's thinking
-Has no solid motivation to do any of the things he's doing

He's just your average silent protagonist in the same vain of every other FPS that uses them.
 

skywolfblue

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Jul 17, 2011
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I love how he looks in the cover art and the fact that he's a nerd with a PHD and all.


...But he's pretty terrible as far as his interactions in the game. He's a pretty good example of a silent protagonist done wrong, other characters call on him to speak and he just stands there, not saying a word.
 

StylinBones

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Mar 3, 2012
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Gordon is awesome. Smart dude and what he lacks in physicality, the HEV suit makes up for. He's deadly with a crowbar and has no problem ramping a cheaply constructed vehicle over a 40 foot gap.

Cold and emotionless. Crafty and deadly. He's a nerdy version of James Bond.
 

CleverNickname

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Sep 19, 2010
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People don't like Gordon because he doesn't talk and has "no character"?? That's like asking why pizza is awesome and then being disappointed that it hasn't got a PhD in Physics.

Pizza is just obviously awesome, because it is Pizza.
Gordon Freeman's awesomeness is equally inherent. Look at all the shit he goes through and then tell me he isn't awesome.
 

QuartzQuadreant

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Sep 14, 2012
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I like him. As a nerdy scientist, he's a player character with ties to the average player. Something of a genius, definitely an everyman, he's thrust into an amazing situation and manages to come out on top. We can project onto him, and we feel attached to him solely because of the reactions of other players.
 

Infernai

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Apr 14, 2009
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I just go by the portrayal in Freemans Mind and consider that canon. Is it also wrong that i now consider the voice of Freeman in that series to be how Freeman actually sounds in the series proper?
 

Ccx55

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Dec 6, 2011
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Infernai said:
I just go by the portrayal in Freemans Mind and consider that canon. Is it also wrong that i now consider the voice of Freeman in that series to be how Freeman actually sounds in the series proper?
Nahh. To me, Ross Scott is the Freeman.

I have to agree with this:

Karoshi said:
Gordon Freeman has a lot in common with his crowbar. A crowbar is a tool for daily routine, manual and boring work. Yet in the right hands, it can kill friggin aliens and zombies. Freeman is a normal guy who became a hero. He never gained any supernatural powers and any other person could have followed in his footsteps.

Yet nobody did.

The player is supposed to fill the blank space himself and make up his own mind on who Freeman is. Most people don't and that's alright, but I highly enjoyed doing that.

As for his motivations... I dunno, most people would want to stop the annhilation of the human race, wouldn't they? Sound pretty solid to me.
 

Smooth Operator

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Oct 5, 2010
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I think that when I'm playing him he is one smooth cat, and handsome to boot :p
I other words a port hole for the player, not a character.
 

Jolly Co-operator

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Mar 10, 2012
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I think he's alright, I guess. Not much to either like or dislike, really. I do think, however, that he gets WAY too much praise from other characters in the game though. I get that he's a hero, but I think it's a sign that they might be overdoing it when I notice its abundance, even amongst intense gunfights.

I remember in Episode 2, Eli said something along the lines of "Glad to see that you and Alyx make a good team. You know, the sterility field is down now, and everyone has to do their part . . . "

I get that he's kinda joking, but it still pretty much translates to "You're so great Gordon! Here, please fuck my daughter!"

I don't know if anyone else found it funny, but I did :)
 

Goofguy

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Nov 25, 2010
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Gordon Freeman is a badass but I don't think I'd ever want to get a beer with the guy. I get that he's a silent protagonist and an avatar of the player but the fact that he says nothing, emotes nothing or seems to think nothing makes him kind of boring.