Allow me, someone who didn't have Gordon on his list, to field this one for you.JaymesFogarty said:
The character has a lot of depth, but not much personality. His character and story come together in a unique perspective: from other people. The people he runs into--especially once you run into the Half-Life 2 set of games--all paint a picture of Gordon through their own narratives and dialogue. This presents an interesting narrative form that results in a main character being revealed through the support cast, rather than through his own dialogue and neat cinematic cut scenes. Whether this was Valve's intention or not remains to be seen, of course. So, what IS the 'character' of Gordon Freeman? Let's look at a couple of facts.
Fact 1: Gordon Freeman is one of the few survivors of the Black Mesa Incident, and his actions helped stymie the Combine's initial invasion plans. This is important to note, because he's an MIT Graduate. Gordon Freeman is a science weenie with no real combat training to speak of, but when the defecation hit the oscillation, he stepped up.
Fact 2: Almost every non-Combine/non-Alien character Gordon has encountered has met him with positive attitude, friendly words. This paints a very positive picture of Gordon. People who know him trust him, view him as dependable, and are generally open and honest with him. You can easily extrapolate that Gordon is a very friendly, forward type of guy, even without saying a word.
Fact 3: Gordon is a man who lets his actions speak for him, rather than his words. This is very rare in modern gaming. Most protagonists are very gung-ho, aggressive, sarcastic, and full of 'witty' one-liners and acidic quips barked at their foes before they shoot them in the face repeatedly. Gordon prefers to let his crowbar do the talking, and this is a trait I kind of admire. They say the most dangerous man is the man who doesn't feel the need to brag about his accomplishments, and Gordon never says a word. Be afraid.
Fact 4: Even his enemies show Gordon respect. Breen and the G-Man(because let's face it, G-Man is NOT Gordon's friend) both made an effort to talk to Gordon as civilly and politely as possible. Once again, this is a case of a character's portrait being painted by the words and actions of those around him. Gordon has a brilliant mind, the devil's own luck, and the motivation to do what needs to be done. That his foes show him this level of respect(especially G-Man, who views Gordon as some sort of pawn in an elaborate, machiavellian scheme we still haven't seen the width and breadth of) just goes to speak highly of his character.
Hopefully this rather long-winded diatribe helped explain why some people might see Gordon Freeman as their favorite video game character. And if all else fails, if none of these points seem to apply to the average gamer: He's just that badass.
