The Problem with Half-Life’s Gordon Freeman

It was a normal Saturday night. I was at a friend’s house with a few drinks in me and as is typical amongst the crowd I pal around with, the conversation eventually turned to videogames. We got on about the games we were playing and what games we’re looking forward to until the conversation turned to story-telling in games. I sat back and watched as the argument quickly turned into Final Fantasy versus Halo, but then something unexpected happened: someone brought up Half-Life.

Now, Half-Life has always been a game that I’ve had a rocky relationship story-wise. In short, I appreciated and enjoyed the way in which the story is told in the games, but the silent protagonist in Gordon Freeman has always bothered me. A large part of the appeal to gamers of having a silent protagonist in games like The Legend of Zelda series is in putting yourself in the role of the protagonist. It’s certainly immersive when done correctly, as in Metroid Prime, but there are obvious flaws that can and I believe did come to fruition in Half-Life.

For one, the whole “you are the protagonist” aspect gets dissipated when there is constant reminder that you are not the character. When you’re unable to talk and one of the main methods of exposition is through conversations between characters, you’re left overhearing conversations without offering anything back of substance. It’s astonishing that every friendly NPC you interact with will hold a conversation with what amounts to a brick wall. I mean, the silent savior thing is kind of cool (and a great example of an alliteration), but it’s a little creepy in this context honestly. You’re left feeling like you’re invisible in a room where everyone is talking about you.

The big reason that the character of Samus in the first Metroid Prime, my best example of a very well done silent protagonist, is so engrossing is because there is no one to talk to. You are completely on your own and isolated from interaction. You’re forced into putting yourself into the character, because otherwise you feel completely alone and isolated, which was the intention. It makes sense why you’re quiet; talking to yourself while you’re in a situation similar to Samus would be weird.

Games like Mass Effect have copious amounts of dialog options and directions you can go. You can form whole personalities with your Shepard. In Half-Life you can’t develop a personality via conversation OR your actions (due to the linear path of the game) and you’re left with a character as thin as the bone between Charlie Sheen’s nasal passages. Imagine that you’re Alyx. Wouldn’t you be a bit worried that your great hero seems to have the personality of a potato? I cannot even fathom how she has developed a friendship with him. Is he really enjoyable to pal around with?

Another thing,  he’s a goddamn scientist! Shouldn’t he have the smarts to show a little doubt as to whether that whole transportation thing is a good idea, or at least offer to check out the calculations or something of that sort (honest question, I don’t know, I’m not a scientist)? Maybe shout “TURN OFF THE GODDAMNED MACHINE” or at least “OH SHIT! I BLAME YOU FOR NOT BUYING YOUR “TRAINED” HEADCRAB A CAGE!”? But that’s not Gordon Freeman, is it? That’s why he’s dull.

Let’s ignore Gordon’s personality since as I have said before, it doesn’t exist, but what about those other NPCs? I mean, a dog robot (or is it robot dog?) is one of the most charismatic characters in the game! Alyx is the NPC with the most personality, but let’s be honest, her character has a very limited as well. Now, she definitely has a strong personality, but she’s still a pretty cliché character. I mean, a strong women warrior who fires off witty jabs as often as she does bullets? That’s a new one. I feel about as much attachment to most of the characters as I did with Sheva in RE5 (i.e. not much). Games like Uncharted have since had similar characters, but a big difference is that the characters have the ability to banter and bicker with the main character and as thus, their relationships are able to develop in a much more organically and visibly.

I mean, I don’t need a vast backstory or change in every major character, but unfortunately, the bar has been raised. If Valve is to stay at the forefront of story-telling, the characters cannot remain as static as they are. They’re more of a tool to move the story forward than compelling personalities. “Oh, they’re introducing a new NPC? Time for a plan to go wrong and a new swarm of enemies.” Sigh.

Am I being harsh on Valve? Extremely. But as a company that is on the forefront of the industry, they need to recognize that the bar has been raised. I’m not expecting RPG-esque gut wrenching cut scenes or Mass Effect’s dialog options, but I do expect some depth. I want to be Gordon Freeman; an intelligent, intense, badass. I don’t want to be a meat puppet. I want to be a scientist who is inexplicably a crack shot with everything from a rocket launcher to a revolver. I want to feel like I have a degree of self-efficacy as opposed to being a passenger in a car driven by higher ups. It’s time for Valve to step up to the plate.

Am I being fair or do you think I’m an idiot who missed the point completely? Post your opinions in the comments below.