YOUR Gordon Freeman

[Flying-Emu]

I used the search button, nobody panic.

It was recently brought to my attention that Gordon Freeman (of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 fame) is mute throughout the game. Yes, it had to be brought to my attention. As I read more into this person's comment (I cannot for the life of me remember where I read it, or who it was from), I realized he was right.

He spoke of Gordon's inherent silence being a blessing rather than a curse. With Gordon projecting no personality at all, it allows you to place your own, arbitrary personality into him. I began to think...

Who was my Gordon Freeman?

Spoiler: This will contain spoilers. Feel free to skip if you have not completed Half-Life 2: Episode 2

I envisioned him as a victim of fate. After the Black Mesa Incident, he became truly apathetic; merely the G-Man's tool. He didn't care for his life, or the cause of the resistance against Dr. Breen. He only wished to finish the job so that G-Man would, hopefully, set him free. Even as he assaulted the Citadel, he felt nothing.

Then, the Citadel was destroyed. And he was saved. But to his surprise... so was Alyx Vance.

As he and Alyx desperately fled the ruins of City 17, he began to care once more. Traversing the darkness of the sewers with Alyx, battling Head-Crabs and Combine (and need I mention the ever-popular Zombine quip Alyx made?), Gordon began caring for Alyx Vance and her quest.

With the opening of Episode Two, Gordon's affections were once again bolstered in his journey into the Antlion caverns after Alyx's near-murder by a Combine Hunter. Before, he would have shrugged, taken the data code Alyx held, and continued on his way to White Forest.

But he didn't. He cared for Alyx. And he fought for her, saved her, and brought her to White Forest alive and well.

Side Note: I lol'd hard when Eli started insinuating that Gordon and Alyx have kids.
What? He wants grandkids.

Now, the long aside... aside, I'll get to the point. Gordon Freeman's muteness allows a certain level of projection as to what you believe him to be. Who is Gordon Freeman to you?

 

[Vek]

The most violent mime ever.

 

[Nargleblarg]

You want to know who Gordan Freeman is Google,yahoo,aol whatever it is you do look up freemans mind.

 

[Space Spoons]

To me, Gordon Freeman is a painfully shy, unfailingly polite scientist with absolutely no backbone. He doesn't actually have any desire to be involved in any of the situations he finds himself in... He's just too shy, polite or downright scared to correct others when they say, "Oh, Gordon will take care of that giant alien squid."

The Half-Life games are a lot like a long, interactive Rob Schneider movie when you look at them like that. It helps to have Having a Wonderful Time [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddf-3N1B5ww] on your iPod while you play.

 

[RebelRising]

This says it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J80KD4BG7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9C78b_FhKA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63S3vacxI9c&feature=related

Chosen savior of Mankind? No. Badass bane of alien oppressors? No. Pissed-off, psychotic self-preservationist? Yes.

 

[Flunk]

Oh, he was just me.

 

[ExaltedK9]

I used the search button, nobody panic.

It was recently brought to my attention that Gordon Freeman (of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 fame) is mute throughout the game. Yes, it had to be brought to my attention. As I read more into this person's comment (I cannot for the life of me remember where I read it, or who it was from), I realized he was right.

He spoke of Gordon's inherent silence being a blessing rather than a curse. With Gordon projecting no personality at all, it allows you to place your own, arbitrary personality into him. I began to think...

Who was my Gordon Freeman?

Spoiler: This will contain spoilers. Feel free to skip if you have not completed Half-Life 2: Episode 2

I envisioned him as a victim of fate. After the Black Mesa Incident, he became truly apathetic; merely the G-Man's tool. He didn't care for his life, or the cause of the resistance against Dr. Breen. He only wished to finish the job so that G-Man would, hopefully, set him free. Even as he assaulted the Citadel, he felt nothing.

Then, the Citadel was destroyed. And he was saved. But to his surprise... so was Alyx Vance.

As he and Alyx desperately fled the ruins of City 17, he began to care once more. Traversing the darkness of the sewers with Alyx, battling Head-Crabs and Combine (and need I mention the ever-popular Zombine quip Alyx made?), Gordon began caring for Alyx Vance and her quest.

With the opening of Episode Two, Gordon's affections were once again bolstered in his journey into the Antlion caverns after Alyx's near-murder by a Combine Hunter. Before, he would have shrugged, taken the data code Alyx held, and continued on his way to White Forest.

But he didn't. He cared for Alyx. And he fought for her, saved her, and brought her to White Forest alive and well.

Side Note: I lol'd hard when Eli started insinuating that Gordon and Alyx have kids.
What? He wants grandkids.

Now, the long aside... aside, I'll get to the point. Gordon Freeman's muteness allows a certain level of projection as to what you believe him to be. Who is Gordon Freeman to you?

He's exactly that to me.

 

[ArcadianTrance]

I don't actually play Half life,

/Gasps from the crowd

but I'v always like mute character for this sort of reason,
I'm glad to hear others like them too. It seems I hear nothing
but complaints about mutes sometimes. Honestly when Jack got a
voice it nearly ruined the Jack and Daxter trilogy for me...

 

[Paulrus_Keaton]

John Freeman's brother.

and I will horribly reference that video until the day I die; probably by one of you blokes.

 

[TheDoctor455]

I used the search button, nobody panic.

It was recently brought to my attention that Gordon Freeman (of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 fame) is mute throughout the game. Yes, it had to be brought to my attention. As I read more into this person's comment (I cannot for the life of me remember where I read it, or who it was from), I realized he was right.

He spoke of Gordon's inherent silence being a blessing rather than a curse. With Gordon projecting no personality at all, it allows you to place your own, arbitrary personality into him. I began to think...

Who was my Gordon Freeman?

Spoiler: This will contain spoilers. Feel free to skip if you have not completed Half-Life 2: Episode 2

I envisioned him as a victim of fate. After the Black Mesa Incident, he became truly apathetic; merely the G-Man's tool. He didn't care for his life, or the cause of the resistance against Dr. Breen. He only wished to finish the job so that G-Man would, hopefully, set him free. Even as he assaulted the Citadel, he felt nothing.

Then, the Citadel was destroyed. And he was saved. But to his surprise... so was Alyx Vance.

As he and Alyx desperately fled the ruins of City 17, he began to care once more. Traversing the darkness of the sewers with Alyx, battling Head-Crabs and Combine (and need I mention the ever-popular Zombine quip Alyx made?), Gordon began caring for Alyx Vance and her quest.

With the opening of Episode Two, Gordon's affections were once again bolstered in his journey into the Antlion caverns after Alyx's near-murder by a Combine Hunter. Before, he would have shrugged, taken the data code Alyx held, and continued on his way to White Forest.

But he didn't. He cared for Alyx. And he fought for her, saved her, and brought her to White Forest alive and well.

Side Note: I lol'd hard when Eli started insinuating that Gordon and Alyx have kids.
What? He wants grandkids.

Now, the long aside... aside, I'll get to the point. Gordon Freeman's muteness allows a certain level of projection as to what you believe him to be. Who is Gordon Freeman to you?

Yeah, that's kinda how I imagined Gordon Freeman.

 

[YuheJi]

To me, Gordon Freeman is a painfully shy, unfailingly polite scientist with absolutely no backbone. He doesn't actually have any desire to be involved in any of the situations he finds himself in... He's just too shy, polite or downright scared to correct others when they say, "Oh, Gordon will take care of that giant alien squid."

This. You're always the one left to take care of that gigantic alien boss. But no one else seems to want to do it.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Actually Dr. Freeman is usually caught on a linear path just moving forward and trying to stay alive. He hardly ever makes a choice besides which weapon to shot at which guy. Also, he obviously has an aversion to shooting allies (since he lowers his weapon when looked at allies). I see him more as just a unlucky SOB who keeps getting stuck in ridiculous situations and is just trying to get out (by moving forward) and winding up in worst spots each time (or saving the world). He wants to stay alive and may even wish to try and save humanity but above all he just hopes the next hallway will bring him to safety so he can relax for once.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

The most violent mime ever.

Hahaha lovely...

 

[Julianking93]

The most violent mime ever.

Greatest response ever!

 

[El Taco the Rogue]

He pants when you sprint...
Hes a nerd who does stuff because he has to.

 

[Scunner]

I'd say my take on Gordon Freeman (or my Gordon Freeman) is similar to the OP's. He was being strung along by G-Man in the first and then going through it all to try and break free of him in the second. Then after the end of the second, he becomes more attached to Alyx and her motivations to keep going as he travels with her through Episodes 1 and 2.

I see Freeman as an ordinary man who is thrust into extroadinary circumstances against his will.

You might say, the right man in the wrong place?

 

[NeutralDrow]

Sadly, I've yet to play Half Life. Therefore, my Gordon Freeman is the guy who looks incredibly like me, except more fit. And more badass, but that's beside the point.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I don't know. I can't really attach any personality at all to him. Hell, you never even see him in game. I see him as the generic non-Schwarzenegger terminator pretty much. a completely emotionless bullet sponge and dispenser.

 

[Mechanical Cat Fish]

I should probably point out that projection is the reason for all silent protagonists (except the ones who are a result of laziness and 1980s twenty-word-plot heroes), and then go on to say my Gordon is the same as my character in every other game. He gets caught up in something bigger than himself and fights to protect people because they need help and he's got a crowbar.