Editing Gordon Freeman

{{short description|Video game protagonist of the Half-Life series}}
{{about||the American immunologist and oncologist|Gordon J. Freeman}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox character
| series = [[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]
| image = Gordon Freeman.png
| alt = A white man in an armoured suit clutches a shotgun. The man has brown hair, a short beard and mustache, green eyes and thick black glasses. The suit is predominately orange with black trim, the Greek letter ''Lambda'' emblazoned on the suit's chest.
| caption = Gordon in ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' (2004)
| firstgame = ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' (1998)
| creator = [[Gabe Newell]]<ref name=Gabe/>
| designer = {{Plainlist|
* Gabe Newell<ref name=Gabe/>
* [[Marc Laidlaw]]<ref name=Marc/>
}}
| nationality = American
| home = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
}}

'''Gordon Freeman''' is the [[silent protagonist]] of the ''[[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]'' video game series, created by [[Gabe Newell]] and designed by [[Marc Laidlaw]] of [[Valve Corporation|Valve]].<ref name=Gabe>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/16.html |title=The Top 100 Game Creators of All Time - 16. Gabe Newell |website=IGN |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222011639/http://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/16.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=Marc>{{cite web|url=http://www.giantbomb.com/marc-laidlaw/3040-4489/ |title=Marc Laidlaw |website=Giant Bomb |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301043605/http://www.giantbomb.com/marc-laidlaw/3040-4489/ |archive-date=March 1, 2014 }}</ref> His first appearance is in ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' (1998). Gordon is depicted as a [[bespectacled]] [[White people|white]] man from [[Seattle]], with [[brown hair]] and a signature [[list of facial hairstyles|circle beard]], who graduated from [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] with a [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] in [[theoretical physics]]. He was an employee at the fictional [[Black Mesa Research Facility]]. Controlled by the player, Gordon is often tasked with using a wide range of weapons and tools to fight alien creatures such as [[headcrabs]], as well as [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine]] machines and soldiers. Gordon's character has been well received by critics and gamers, and various gaming websites often consider him to be one of the greatest video game characters of all time, including [[UGO]] and ''[[GameSpot]]''.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

==Character design==
[[File:Gordon Freeman concept art.png|thumb|left|150px|An early concept art of Gordon Freeman, wearing a bulkier HEV suit, helmet, and goggles]]

Valve president and ''Half-Life'' director [[Gabe Newell]] coined the name "Gordon Freeman" during a conversation with the game's writer [[Marc Laidlaw]] in his car. Laidlaw had originally named the character "Dyson Poincaré", combining the names of physicist and philosopher [[Freeman Dyson]] and mathematician [[Henri Poincaré]]. The texture for Gordon's head was "too big of a job for just one person", so Valve designers combined references from four people. An earlier model of Gordon, known as "Ivan the Space Biker", had a full beard that was subsequently trimmed. Other iterations of Gordon's concept featured different glasses, a ponytail, and a helmet.<ref name="raising the bar">{{cite book|title=Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar|last=Hodgson|first=David|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|year=2004|isbn=0-7615-4364-3|pages=30–31}}</ref>

Gordon wears a special full-body [[hazmat suit]], known as the '''H'''azardous '''E'''n'''v'''ironment Suit (or HEV Suit). The suit is designed to protect the user from radiation, energy discharges, and blunt trauma during the handling of hazardous materials. The suit's main feature is its "high-impact [[reactive armor]]", an electrically powered armor system that, when charged, absorbs two-thirds of the damage that Gordon would ordinarily suffer in ''Half-Life'' and 80% in ''Half-Life 2''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} A fully charged suit can survive several dozen hits from small arms and even one direct hit from an [[rocket-propelled grenade|RPG]]. The suit can be charged by various means, and has its own oxygen supply and medical injectors, such as morphine and a [[neurotoxin]] antidote. It comes with a built-in [[flashlight]], a radio, various tracking devices, a [[compass]], and a [[Geiger counter]]. The suit contains an on-board computer system that constantly monitors the user's health and vital signs, and reacts to any changes in the user's condition. It also projects a [[Heads-up display (video games)|heads-up display]] (HUD) which displays Gordon's health and suit charge level, remaining ammunition, and a crosshair. As a means of immersing the player in the role, Gordon [[Silent protagonist|never speaks]], and there are no cutscenes or mission briefings—all action is viewed through Gordon's eyes, with the player retaining control of Gordon's actions at nearly all times. The images of Gordon are only seen on the game's cover and menu pages, and also in advertisements, making them marketing tools rather than pictures of what Gordon is "really like". [[Gabe Newell]] has stated that [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] sees no reason to give Gordon a voice.<ref name="no reason">{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=241221 |title=Gabe Newell: Next Half-Life won't change Gordon Freeman |first=Tim |last=Ingham |date=April 4, 2010 |publisher=Computer and Video Games |access-date=December 21, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409061413/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=241221 |archive-date=April 9, 2010 }}</ref>

In ''Half-Life'', Gordon wears the ''Mark IV'' suit. Later in the game, the suit is equipped with an optional long-jump module so Gordon can leap great distances. It is charged using power modules throughout Black Mesa. In ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' Gordon receives the upgraded ''Mark V'' suit, which lacks the long-jump module but gains several new abilities. It features a visual [[Zoom lens|zoom]]ing capability, limited sprinting, an anti-venom injector, an optional ammo and a health counter on the [[crosshair]], and has been modified to use [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine]] power nodes to charge the suit.

The ''Mark V'' initially used a single power source for the flashlight, sprinting, and oxygen supply; in ''[[Half-Life 2: Episode Two]]'' the flashlight was given a separate power source to improve gameplay. The symbol on Gordon's HEV suit is the lowercase Greek letter [[Lambda]], λ. This symbol is used by scientists to denote the [[decay constant]] of radioactive elements (related to the [[half-life]] of an element). As well as appearing on Gordon's suit, the symbol replaces the letter "a" in the game title (''H'''λ'''lf-Life'') and is the name of the complex in the [[Black Mesa Research Facility]] where teleportation experiments are conducted in the first game. The Lambda symbol is also seen in ''Half-Life 2'' as a marking of the human resistance, seen close to hidden supplies and on the armbands of better equipped resistance fighters.

==Appearances==
In the ''Half-Life'' saga, Gordon Freeman is a silent protagonist who, despite lacking formal weapon training, survives a chaotic inter-dimensional incident at the Black Mesa Research Facility. In ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', after being kept in stasis for nearly two decades, Freeman battles the [[Combine (Half-Life)|Combine Empire]] to liberate Earth. He gains legendary status and sparks a rebellion, ultimately destroying the Citadel, a major Combine stronghold. The G-Man rescues Freeman after this critical event, praising his accomplishments and placing him back in stasis.

In ''[[Half-Life 2: Episode One|Episode One]]'', Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance work to stabilize the Citadel's core to prevent a catastrophic explosion. In ''[[Half-Life 2: Episode Two|Episode Two]]'', they work together to transport crucial data to close a forming super portal. After a revelation from the G-Man about saving Alyx, they learn about the ''Borealis'', a research vessel with the potential to cause significant events. The game ends with Alyx mourning her father's death at the hands of a Combine Advisor.

''[[Half-Life: Alyx]]'', set five years before ''Half-Life 2'', follows Alyx Vance trying to locate Gordon. She infiltrates a Combine vault, believing it holds Gordon, but instead releases the G-Man.<ref>{{Cite video game|title=Half-Life: Alyx|developer=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]|publisher=Valve|platform=Windows|level=Point Extraction|date=March 23, 2020|quote='''Alyx''': Okay, Gordon... Let's get you out of this thing...|language=en}}</ref> As a reward for freeing him, the G-Man shows her a vision of her father's death in the future, and offers her the chance to change the outcome.<ref>{{Cite video game|title=Half-Life: Alyx|developer=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]|publisher=Valve|platform=Windows|date=March 23, 2020|quote='''G-Man''': We are in the future. This is the moment where you watch your father die... unless... / '''Alyx''': What? Unless ''what?'' / '''G-Man''': Unless, you were to take matters into your own hands. Release your father, Miss Vance.|language=en}}</ref> Alyx complies, killing the Advisor and saving her father, and the G-man suspends her in stasis and leaves.<ref>{{Cite video game|title=Half-Life: Alyx|developer=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]|publisher=Valve|platform=Windows|level=Point Extraction|date=March 23, 2020|quote='''Closing text''': ''Subject'': Alyx Vance / ''Status'': Hired / ''Awaiting Assignment''|language=en}}</ref> Five years later, Freeman regains consciousness at White Forest and is reunited with Eli. Realizing that the G-Man has Alyx, Eli declares his intention to kill him and hands Freeman his crowbar.<ref>{{Cite video game|title=Half-Life: Alyx|developer=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]|publisher=Valve|platform=Windows|scene=Post-credits scene|date=March 23, 2020|quote='''Eli''': Gordon?! Gordon! Wake up, Gordon! She's gone, Gordon. She's ''gone''. Son of a bitch and his "unforeseen consequences"! I knew it. When I get my hands on him, I'm gonna... I'm gonna ''kill'' him. I'm gonna fix this. Right now... Come on, Gordon. We've got work to do.|language=en}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
Gordon Freeman quickly became and then remained one of the most popular video game characters ever. In 2008, ''[[The Age]]'' ranked him as the 16th-best [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] character of all time, adding that "no one has done more for the reputations and street cred of theoretical physicists than Valve."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/the-top-50-xbox-characters-of-all-time-20090616-cdkl.html |title=The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time |publisher=Theage.com.au |access-date=September 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006054805/http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/the-top-50-xbox-characters-of-all-time-20090616-cdkl.html |archive-date=October 6, 2010 }}</ref> In 2009, [[GameDaily]] listed the "strong and silent type" in their top 25 video game archetypes, using Gordon Freeman as an example.<ref>Mitchell, Richard. (September 23, 2011) [http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-video-game-characters-archetypes/?page=23 Joystiq] {{dead link|date=March 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. Gamedaily.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-30.</ref> In 2010, ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' ranked him as the number one Greatest Video Game Character, commenting that "the character is the quintessential [[geek]] fantasy" who "has become a gaming icon, synonymous with the apotheosis of first-person action."<ref>[http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=1 The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters | 1. Gordon Freeman | Empire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324225139/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=1 |date=March 24, 2012 }}. www.empireonline.com. Retrieved on September 30, 2011.</ref>

He was also ranked 14th on [[UGO.com]]'s list of top 100 heroes in all media, with a comment that "an MIT graduate, donning black-framed glasses and a goatee, he's not the guy you'd picture decimating the alien threat."<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/games/top-heroes-in-entertainment/shows.asp?groupID=shows20-1&showID=gordon-freeman |title=UGO's Top 100 Heroes of All Time |publisher=UGO Entertainment |access-date=October 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202112555/http://www.ugo.com/games/top-heroes-in-entertainment/shows.asp?groupID=shows20-1&showID=gordon-freeman |archive-date=February 2, 2009 }}</ref> In 2012, [[GamesRadar]] ranked him as the sixth "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, adding: "It's how the characters of the ''Half-Life'' universe treat Gordon Freeman, not the way he treats them, that shape such a compelling character."<ref name=":0">[http://www.gamesradar.com/top-100-video-game-heroes/ 100 best heroes in video games]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111101246/http://www.gamesradar.com/top-100-video-game-heroes/ |date=November 11, 2012 }}, GamesRadar, October 19, 2012.</ref> In 2013, ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' ranked him as the 45th "most badass" video game character of all time.<ref>Drea Avellan, [http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/01/the-50-most-badass-video-game-characters-of-all-time/ The 50 Most Badass Video Game Characters Of All Time]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219033800/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/the-50-most-badass-video-game-characters-of-all-time/ |date=February 19, 2015 }}, Complex.com, February 1, 2013.</ref> On the other hand, [[1UP.com]]'s Marty Sliva included him among the most unrelatable narrators, stating, "I'm sure some people love the fact that they can become Gordon Freeman -- I just think I'd be a little happier if there was anything there ''to'' become."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/unrelatable-narrators-gaming|title=The Most Unrelatable Narrators in Gaming|website=1Up.com|access-date=February 10, 2016}}</ref>

In 1998, readers of ''[[GameSpot]]'' ranked him as the fifth-best Hero of gaming.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/tenspot_readers_heroes/page6.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612165718/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tenspot_readers_heroes/page6.html |archive-date=June 12, 2009 |title=TenSpot Readers' Choice: Ten Best Heroes - GameSpot |access-date=September 2, 2013}}</ref> In 2009, a public poll on GameSpot resulted in him being voted the All Time Greatest Video Game Hero.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespots-all-time-greatest-game-hero-draws-to-a-close-and-the-winner-is/1100-6233560/ |title=GameSpot's All-Time Greatest Game Hero Draws to a Close. And the Winner Is... |last=Park |first=Andrew |date=October 15, 2009 |publisher=GameSpot |access-date=October 15, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203211335/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespots-all-time-greatest-game-hero-draws-to-a-close-and-the-winner-is/1100-6233560/ |archive-date=December 3, 2013 }}</ref> He was also voted as the eighth-best video game character of all time in the ''[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition]]'' 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/16/guinness-names-top-50-video-game-characters-of-all-time.aspx |title=Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time - News |publisher=Game Informer |date=February 16, 2011 |access-date=September 2, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210145224/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/16/guinness-names-top-50-video-game-characters-of-all-time.aspx |archive-date=December 10, 2014 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web|url=https://www.videogamer.com/features/gordon-freeman-remains-half-lifes-unsolved-mystery/ |title=Gordon Freeman remains Half-Life's unsolved mystery
|first=Josh |last=Wise |date=November 23, 2018 |publisher=Videogamer.com|access-date=August 4, 2021}}

==External links==
* {{Commons-inline}}
* [http://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Gordon_Freeman Gordon Freeman] on Combine OverWiki, an external wiki

{{Half-Life}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Gordon}}
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