Who is Gordon Freeman. Researcher at 'Black Mesa'. Walkthrough of 2D Half-Life

He holds a Ph.D. (Western equivalent of a Ph.D.) in Theoretical Physics from MIT. Working as a theoretical physicist at the Black Mesa Research Center, he participated in an experiment on anomalous materials (Eng. abnormal materials), along with scientists Isaac Kleiner, Eli Vance, and Arnold Magnusson. During the experiment, an error occurred that opened an interdimensional gate to the parallel world of Zen and marked the beginning of the invasion of the Earth by its inhabitants.

Character biography

Taking part in academic research at the University of Innsbruck, Gordon was frustrated by their slow pace of development and insufficient funding. Obsessed with his dream, the scientist is looking for work outside of educational institutions, and luck smiled at him. Freeman's former mentor at MIT, Dr. Isaac Kleiner, had taken on a secret project at the Black Mesa Research Center and was looking for talented assistants. Given the sources and amount of funding, Freeman suspected that the center was developing new weapons. But, despite the fears, the scientist accepted the job offer, hoping that the peaceful use of technology would also be found.

Freeman received a position as a research assistant in the laboratory of anomalous materials with access level 3. For living, the scientist was given an apartment in the dormitory of the research center. Before the hero took up his duties, he underwent a training course in the use of a special protective suit. H.E.V.(see below).

Little is known about Freeman's work at Black Mesa prior to the events. half-life. AT Half Life 2: Episode One Alyx Vance, commenting on Gordon's ability to move quickly through the ventilation shafts, retells the story that Dr. Kleiner told her. Freeman and his security buddy Barney competed to see who could get inside the absentminded professor's office the fastest after he lost the key to his office door.

Appearance

Gordon Freeman's appearance changes slightly from game to game. The main features that remain unchanged are a thin build, slicked back brown hair, a goatee and square glasses.

half-life

On the original cover of the game, Freeman is depicted as a lean man with large black-rimmed glasses, bright brown hair, the same beard and hairstyle " ponytail". Wrapped up in H.E.V. without a helmet. In the game's multiplayer mode, there is a model of the protagonist, which recreates this appearance quite accurately, with the exception of the lack of glasses and the presence of a ponytail.

Half Life: Blue Shift

At the start of the game, Freeman's security guard and friend Barney Calhoun sees him driving past him in a Black Mesa transport system train car. This happens before Freeman puts on the H.E.V., so he wears the same white coat with tie and badge on his chest as all the scientists on the complex. Later, at the very end of the addon, Calhoun, who accidentally teleported into the back room through the ventilation grill, sees two soldiers dragging the unconscious Freeman along the corridor (in the original Half-Life, this episode is in the middle of the game).

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Gordon and Alyx come to their senses at the foot of a dilapidated Alliance base. After establishing contact with Eli Vance and Isaac Kleiner, the heroes learn that the critically damaged Citadel will soon explode, destroying all life in the surrounding area. To prevent the explosion, Gordon and Alyx, led by Eli Vance, return to the Citadel to stop the reactor core and stop the slow fusion reaction that has begun. Along the way, the heroes manage to find out that the Alliance scientists have stopped trying to stabilize the core, because after the destruction of the portal by Freeman, all external teleports and communication systems of the Alliance on Earth turned off with no hope of a quick recovery. The exit from the stability of the Citadel reactor for the Alliance became the only way get enough energy to send an unknown message to your world. Alyx manages to get a copy of the message and she and Gordon leave the collapsing base. After long journey across the ruined city, they meet Barney Calhoun and help him smuggle the rebels and willing citizens to the train station. The heroes leave the city on the last train, watching as a message is sent to the Alliance universe. Upon completion of the data transfer, the Citadel is annihilated, covering the train with Gordon and Alix in a wave ...

Half Life 2: Episode Two

After Gordon and Alyx boarded the train and almost left City 17, the Citadel annihilates, forming a huge interdimensional funnel - a superportal through which a super-powerful Alliance army is preparing to pass to reinforce the earthly contingent, many times superior to the rebel forces, both numerically and technologically. Alyx carries a flash memory with very important information containing the plans of the Alliance command, as well as the frequency code of the superportal. Gordon and Alix need to get to the "White Grove" - the main base of the Resistance. On the way to the White Grove, Gordon manages to lose Alyx due to the attack of combine hunter synths and save her with the help of a healing extract of antlions. The Vortigaunts assist him in this. Later, he talks to the G-Man who overtook him and learns some strange things about Alyx. Further, they need to overcome the forests and the parts of the Alliance located in them, deliver information and protect the White Grove. After Gordon has reached his target and the Rebels have repulsed all attacks by the elite Alliance troops on the White Grove, the Resistance launches a satellite that broadcasts a signal opposite to the signal of the superportal, and it begins to dissolve. After that, Freeman and Alyx need to go north, in search of the Boreas laboratory ship, which can become both the new hope of free humanity and the trump card of the Alliance, allowing it to take revenge and restore its power on Earth. At the very end of Episode Two, the Advisers penetrate the base and kill Alix's father, who did not have time to tell Gordon about the G-Man's true intentions.

Other

However, despite the name, H.E.V. Designed for more than just hazardous environments environment, but also for use in combat conditions, for example, as an exoskeleton to protect contractors. "Black Mesa" is a military establishment, and apparently the P.C.V body armor that HECU soldiers are equipped with Opposing Force, designed similar to H.E.V. technology (this is proved by the fact that you can use chargers for "H.E.V." to recharge the P.C.V.). In addition, the suit's ability to protect the wearer from bullet wounds and grenade or rocket launcher blasts seems somewhat overkill for a suit designed to protect scientists during dangerous experiments, in a toxic environment and other situations that are harmful to health. It is also worth considering that the “standard training course” specified in the letter, which all users of the suit are required to complete, includes a part on working with military firearms.

The symbol on Gordon's suit is the Greek letter, Lambda. This symbol is used by scientists to denote the destruction constant of radioactive elements (akin to the half-life of an element). half life)). In addition to Gordon's costume, the symbol appears in the name of the game, replacing the letter "a" - HλLF-LIFE, and this is also the name of the whole complex in the Black Mesa»(Lambda Complex), where teleportation experiments are carried out. The lambda character is also present in Half Life 2, as a symbol of the Resistance, in memory of the events in Black Mesa.

References to Gordon Freeman in popular culture

AT Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory one of the characters tells Sam Fisher that "the pry bar is only for educated computer heroes", joking about the fact that Gordon Freeman is a scientist by profession.
AT Call of Duty: United Offensive At the beginning of the first mission, two soldiers can be seen running. The name of the first is Corporal Gordon, the second is Corporal Freeman.
At the Stark Towers level in the game The Punisher, one scientist refers to another named "Dr. Freeman" and asks what sound he just heard, to which Dr. Freeman replies: "Maybe the physics department has opened an interdimensional portal ... ooh, space aliens!". This is a link to the first level of half-life.
AT The ship, a game created on the engine Half Life 2, the description of the mount states that it is suitable for any "free man" (a play on words - literally "free man", but also forms the word "Freeman").
AT TimeSplitters Future Perfect in the "Breaking and Entering" level, Cortez changes into a lab coat with a card that reads "Dr. Freeman.
In Christopher Brookmire's A Big Boy did it and Ran Away, the author often makes reference to various games: One of the characters is called "Dr. Freeman" and the SAS fighter is called "Shepard".
AT Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas inside the secret military base "Area 69" in the desert, you can find a tire iron lying on a table in one of the laboratories.
The protagonist of the Citizen: The Half-Life and Death of Gordon Frohman internet comics parodying the plot Half Life 2, Gordon Froman, unlike Gordon Freeman, expresses his admiration for the policies of the Alliance and appears as a clumsy and naive loser.
In Game Sacred you can find the grave, when opened, the inscription " here lies Gordon Freeman, killed by a tire iron»
In Game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl in the quest "Find the hunter's family gun" not far from the gun lies the corpse of a novice stalker. His name is Freeman, he is wearing glasses in the photo. The description reads: “Scientist, expert in anomalous phenomena. Worked in America on secret projects. Recently considered missing." Carries a gun Desert Eagle. At the same time, a journal entry appears in the found PDA of Gordon Freeman, where there is a part of his diary, which says that he is not allowed to rest: “first Black Mesa, then some strange city in Russia, and then go to the endless steppes Ukraine" (Chernobyl). In the process of studying the PDA, we find out that Gordon Freeman traded his red crowbar for a can of stew.
AT Halo 3 if you enter the multiplayer level sandtrap and go to one of the middle structures, you will find a crowbar, the same as Gordon Freeman in the game series half-life (Sandtraps is also the title of a chapter in Half Life 2).
In a tabletop role playing game Fallout PnP in the Chance Encounters section, the scenario is described half-life reads: “In the New Mexico area, you can stumble upon a lone man dressed in an orange hazmat suit, who is mumbling something about some man with a briefcase. If you kill him, then you can find with him: crowbar, Colt .45, Glock 17, combat shotgun, rocket launcher, plastic explosive, Gauss rifle and a special weapon - an ion emitter!
The Yekaterinburg group "Sansara" dedicated the song of the same name to Gordon Freeman, the album "U LA" (2007)
In one of the episodes of the game Penumbra: Overture main character collides with a body frozen under the ice, whose hand, squeezing the mount, sticks out on the surface. The description in the inventory states that the name "Freeman" is engraved on the handle.
In the book "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: The choice of weapons" by Andrey Levitsky there is an episode:

Passing by the trolley, I glanced over the body. The man was wearing large black-rimmed glasses. He has short, wavy chestnut hair, a goatee and mustache, and is dressed in a jumpsuit with a circle of light-coloured fabric on the chest, where something like an inverted "U" was embroidered. The rat wolf lying nearby bit through his neck, but died himself: a stranger crushed his head with a crowbar, which was lying around right there. I immediately liked this crowbar - thin, bent at the end, forked like a snake's tongue, so that you could pull out nails and unbend rods.

After that, the hero of the book carries this crowbar with him until the finale.
Machinima.com created the Freeman's Mind series, which is essentially a video magazine Half-Life walkthrough, in which the voiceover voices the protagonist's thoughts that arise in his mind while wandering around the underground complex.
In the Metro 2033 game on the Railcar Battle level, if you go straight to the door and open it, you can see a skeleton on the floor in a collapsed room, and next to it is a crowbar and glasses, like Freeman (a double easter egg, since the game is mainly was developed by people from GSC Game World, the developers of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series).
In addition to the computer game "Left 4 Dead 2" (also released by Valve), "The Passing" ( Transition) a character named Louis can be heard saying "I feel like Gordon Freeman!" as he picks up the tire iron.
In the game "Dead Island" You can make a weapon mod "Gordon's Revenge". It consists in modifying the crowbar, significantly enhancing its characteristics.

For the first time, players met Freeman in the first part of the Half-Life game developed by Valve studio; it was for Freeman that they had to play. According to the developers of the studio, at first the main character did not even have a name, and the screenwriter suggested calling him Dyson Poincaré - in honor of the theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson and mathematician Henri Poincaré. However, Gable Newell, the director of Valve, suggested that the hero be named Gordon Freeman, with whom he went down in history.

The image of the protagonist of one of the most famous games is quite memorable: he is thin, with brown hair and a beard, and his green eyes are hidden behind the lenses of black-rimmed glasses. The scientist is wearing a protective suit, which has the Greek letter lambda "λ" on it. As you know, in physics this letter is assigned to the decay constant of radioactive elements, which is very symbolic for the game. And it is no coincidence that the letter "a" in the name of the game is replaced by this symbol: HλLF-LIFE.

Gordon Freeman, according to the documentary Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, was born in Seattle and from early childhood he was attracted to physics, in particular quantum mechanics. While still at university, Freeman became interested in teleportation experiments, which he later studied in depth. At the University of Innsbruck, where Gordon studied, he was not satisfied with the too slow development of research, and the financing of important projects did cause him despondency. After spending some time looking, Freeman finally got lucky - his former mentor Isaac Kleiner invited him to his own secret project, which a group of scientists was engaged in the Black Mesa Research Center (Black Mesa).

Acquainted with the main character at the very beginning of the game, when the 27-year-old theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman moves in the trailer to the right place to go to the scientific laboratory in Black Mesa, the player becomes a witness to one of the teleportation experiments.

It was the most ordinary day in the laboratory: Freeman and two scientists from the center conducted another experiment on teleportation, however, during the experiment there was a failure and an explosion, as a result of which aliens from a parallel world teleported to the territory of Black Mesa. From this moment on, Freeman and his employees are in mortal danger, because not only aliens, but also the military from the HECU special forces, who were ordered to keep the secrecy of what happened - to destroy all aliens and witnesses of the catastrophe who survived, and also completely close and destroy Black Mesa.

Freeman had a long way to go, overcoming which he got to the Lambda complex, from which he was teleported to a parallel world, to the planet Zen, where he was supposed to find and destroy Nihilanth, the main culprit of the invasion of Black Mesa.

For the first Half-Life, released in 1998, there were many official add-ons (and just a huge number of fan mods) that did not always feature Freeman as the main character. However, the player sees him in some game moments from the side.

The players received the second part of the series 7 long years after the release of the first game, and the plot of Half-Life 2 takes place in the city of the post-apocalyptic world of City 17, several years after the events of the first part. Here, Freeman's old mentor and colleague, Dr. Isaac Kleiner, reappeared. And again, aliens from Xena appear in our world as a result of the explosion of the generator of the Citadel military base, but only then to save Freeman himself and his companion Alex from inevitable death.

the inhabitants who inhabit it.

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✪ Freeman Hrabowski: 4 pillars of college success in science

✪ Why do we sleep? | Russell Foster

✪ Lecture. David Gross

Subtitles

Translator: Sergey Menis Editor: Vera R I'll tell you about the success of my University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMB) campus in educating students in disciplines ranging from the humanities to science and engineering. The highlight of this story is that we were able to learn a lot from students who often do not reach special heights in the scientific environment - from black students, there are fewer of them in certain sciences. What makes this story unique is that we have learned to help African American, Hispanic, and underprivileged students become leaders in the sciences and engineering disciplines. I will begin my story with a story from my childhood. We are all products of our childhood. It's hard to imagine that it's been 50 years since I was a ninth grader in Birmingham, Alabama, I loved getting A's, I loved math, I loved reading, I loved telling a teacher who gave us ten problems, "Give us another ten." . And the whole class was yelling, "Freeman, shut up." Daily, I was kicked. I constantly wondered: “How to instill in these children a love of learning?”. One day, in church, when I didn't want to be there again, but was busy with math problems, sitting in the last row, I heard someone say: "If we convince the children to participate in this peaceful demonstration, here in Birmingham, then let's show America that even children can tell good from bad and these children really want a better education." I asked, "Who is this man?" They replied that his name was Martin Luther King. I told my parents that I had to go, that I wanted to participate in this. They answered: “Categorically, no!”. (Laughter) It was a difficult situation. To be honest, at that time it was not customary to argue with parents. But, I still said: “You hypocrites! You took me with you. They made me listen to everything. He says let's go, but you say no! The whole night they thought, and in the morning, not sleeping all night, praying, weeping and reasoning, they came to my room. Asking ourselves the question: “Will we allow our 12-year-old son to participate in this demonstration and go to jail?”. They decided to let me demonstrate. When I was told this, initially, I was jubilant, but when I thought about dogs and water hoses, I was very scared. I often say this to people that if you do something brave, it doesn't mean you're brave, it means you believe it's important. I wanted a good education. I didn't want to read someone's used books. I wanted to know that my school not only has good teachers, but also adequate resources for learning. I remember when, in the middle of the week, while I was in prison, Dr. King came along with our parents and said, "What you are doing today will change the lives of children who have not even been born yet." Two-thirds of Americans today weren't even born then, in 1963. When they hear about the children's hike in Birmingham or watch it on TV, it's just a story, just like the movie Lincoln about the events of 1863. And yet, what lesson have we learned from this? The most important thing for me is this: children can be inspired to feel in control of their own education. They can be taught to have a passion for learning and instill a love of asking questions. This is especially important because my university, the University of Maryland, in Baltimore County, UMBC, was founded the same year that I went to jail with Dr. King, 1963. The establishment of this institution is very important, because Maryland is, as you know, The South is the first university in our state founded at a time when students of all races could enroll. We have blacks, whites, and students of other races. For 50 years, it has been an experiment. The essence of the experiment: can there be educational institutions in our country where people of different origins will gather and study, work together and support each other, eventually becoming leaders? This experience is important for me, because we realized that we can change a lot in the arts, humanities and social sciences. We've been working on this since the 60s. We have learned many from lawyers to humanitarians. We have trained great artists. Beckett is our muse. Many of our students perform in the theatre. This is great work. The problem that we and all of America face is that students don't do well in science and engineering, and black students don't do well. After studying the statistics, we realized that students in general, in large numbers, do not succeed. As a result, first of all, we decided to help students in the most deplorable situation, African and Hispanic Americans. Philanthropists, Robert and Jane Mayrhoff, said, "We want to help." Robert Mayrhoff said - “Why is everything on TV about black boys, besides basketball, negative? I want to change it somehow, I want to take a positive step.” We combined these ideas and created the Mayrhoff Scholarship. This program is significant in view of several important discoveries. And the bottom line is this: How is it that, in this country, we educate a large proportion of African Americans with PhDs, engineering PhDs, and M.D.s? It is very important! Your applause. It is very important. It is very important. Truth. (Applause) A lot of people don't understand that it's not just minorities who don't excel in science and engineering. Americans are not doing well. Only 20% of African and Hispanic Americans entering science and engineering departments will graduate in these fields. And only 32% of whites, and 42% of Asian Americans, will get their degrees. The obvious question is "What's stopping them?". Part of the problem is secondary school education. We need to strengthen the school curriculum. But, the other side of the problem is the culture of science on our campuses. Not everyone knows that many students with high SAT scores and a large number of pre-credited study hours, in the most prestigious schools, enter engineering and medical schools, but eventually change direction. This is because they have bad grades in their first year. In America, first-year lessons in science and engineering, we call selection or blocking. How many of you in this audience know someone who started out in engineering or doctoral studies but changed profiles after their first or second year? This is an American problem. That's half that audience. Yes, I know. And yet it is interesting that we have a lot of smart students and they can learn. We must find ways to help them. What four principles have we adopted to help minorities that are relevant to all students in general? The first is high hopes. It is necessary to treat with understanding the academic preparation of students, their grades, the intensity of the educational program, the ability to pass exams, mood, enthusiasm in their hearts, the desire to work and be successful. It is very important to prepare them for this role. It is equally important to let them know that only work will help them achieve this. I don't care how smart you are or think you are. Smart means you are willing to learn. You enjoy learning and want to ask questions. Isidore Isaac Rabi, a Nobel laureate, said that when he was growing up in New York, his friends' parents would ask them, "What did they teach you at school today?" And his Jewish mother would say, "Izzy, did you ask any good questions today?" Great hopes are associated with curiosity and encouraging young people to be curious. As a result of these high expectations, we found the students we wanted to work with and figured out how we can help them not only survive studying to be an engineer or scientist, but how to reach their potential and succeed in general. For example, one young man received a three and was going to continue to enter a medical school. We said, “You need to retake this course before moving on to the next level. Good basic knowledge is needed. Each stage forms the foundation for the next. He retaken this course. He graduated from UMBC and is the first African American with an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Now he works at Harvard. A very good story. Applaud him. (Applause) Secondly, grades are not the most important thing. Exam scores are important, but they are not the most important. One girl had good grades, but she didn't do well in her exams. But, she had a very important trait. She never missed a single day of school. She had a fire in her heart! She is now a doctor of medicine and philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. She's now a full-time professor with a PhD in neuroscience. She and her boss hold a patent for an alternative use of Viagra for diabetics. Your applause for her. (Applause) High expectations are very important. And also, the creation of a student environment. We tend to think that learning environments, in science and engineering, are unforgiving. Students are not taught to work in teams. We help these groups understand, trust and support each other, learn to ask questions, and communicate effectively. You can earn an A on your own, but it's a completely different feeling to help someone else get an A. We believe that a sense of responsibility greatly influences the outcome of cases. Therefore, it is very important to build a student environment. Third, the principle that it takes scientists to grow scientists. We need artists to train artists, sociologists for students of sociology. So it is with any other discipline, and most of all in engineering and science. Scientists are needed to draw students into science. Our students are constantly working in laboratories. I think you'll like this example: a couple of years ago, during a snowstorm in Baltimore, one guy at our university, with a grant from the Hughes Medical Institute, returned to work a few days later and all his students refused to leave the laboratory. They brought food with them, they stayed to work in the laboratory, for them it was their life, not their job. They knew they were investigating AIDS. They were working on protein engineering. Each of them was absorbed in their work. He said, "Nothing could be better!" Finally, if you have a student community, high expectations, and scientists to train scientists, you will need professors who are interested in working with students, even in the classroom. I will never forget a call from one professor to our employee: “I have a young African-American sitting and he is not keen on studying. He doesn't take notes. Could you talk to him?" It is important to note that this professor observed each student and noted who was involved and who was not, asking the question: “How can I establish contact with him and get my staff to help?”. Everything is interconnected. This young man is now a MD and PhD in neuroengineering from Duke University. Applaud him! (Applause) We have developed a model that allows us to evaluate what works and what does not, but also showed us that we need to update our program. We redesigned chemistry and physics. We also want to revamp the humanities and social sciences because so many students are bored in class. Did you know it? Many schoolchildren and students do not want to just sit and listen to a lecturer. They need to be involved. On our web page there is a link to the Chemistry Research Center. People from all over the country visit to see how we have redesigned the courses, focusing on interaction and application of technology, exemplified by challenges from biotech companies on our campus. We do not feed our students with theories, but let them solve these problems themselves. Due to the success of our university, more and more courses are being redesigned. This is called academic innovation. And yet, what are our results? At the moment, we have launched similar programs in the humanities and social sciences, pedagogy and, very importantly, in computer science for women. If you didn't know, since 2009, the number of women entering the faculty of computer science has decreased by 79%. All of this can be remedied by building student communities and learning environments, and telling young girls, minorities, and regular students, "You can do well in school!" It is important to give them the opportunity to create this environment with the support of professors who involve them in their work, and constantly reassess what works and what does not. The student's self-esteem is very important. It's incredible how dreams and values can radically change the course of things. When I was in Birmingham prison, at the age of 12, I thought: “What kind of future can I have?”. I could not imagine that a little black boy, from Birmingham, could become the president of a university where students from 150 countries study, where students not only survive, but love to learn, succeed and someday they will change this world. Aristotle said: “Excellence is never given by accident. It is always the result of clear intentions, sincere work and deliberate execution. This is the wisest choice of all." Then he said something that still gives me the creeps. He said, "Choice, not chance, determines our destiny." Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. Dreams and values. Thank you very much. (Applause)

Character biography

Little is known about Freeman's work at Black Mesa prior to the events. half-life. AT Half-Life 2: Episode One Alix Vance, commenting on Gordon's ability to quickly move through the ventilation shafts, retells the story that Dr. Kleiner told her. Freeman and his security buddy Barney competed to see who could get inside the absentminded professor's office the fastest after he lost the key to his office door.

At the start of the game half-life it is mentioned that Gordon is 27 years old. The administration letter noted that Freeman is unmarried and has no dependents. However, if at the beginning of the game you go to the locker room of scientists and look in the locker with the last name Freeman, then a photograph of a small child will be found in it. It is possible that this is either Gordon himself as a child, or, as Mark Laidlaw suggested, Freeman's nephew or niece (in fact, the photo shows the daughter of Harry E. Teasley, one of the game's developers).

Name and appearance

According to Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, documentary book valve about the creation of this game universe, the hero scientist was initially nameless. The game's writer Mark Laidlaw intended to name the hero "Dyson Poincaré" after Freeman Dyson and Henri Poincaré; the name "Gordon Freeman" was coined by Gabe Newell.

Gordon Freeman's appearance changes slightly from game to game. The main features that remain unchanged are a thin build, slicked back brown hair, a goatee, square glasses and green eyes. An early model of Gordon Freeman, who had a large physique, a thick long beard and mustache, bore the comic name "Space biker Ivan" (eng. Ivan the space biker) .

half-life

On the original cover of the game, Freeman is depicted as a lean man with large black-rimmed glasses, bright brown hair, beard and ponytail. Dressed in H.E.V. without a helmet. In the game's multiplayer mode, as well as third-person mode (which can be activated via the console), there is a model of the protagonist that recreates this appearance fairly accurately, except for the lack of points.

Half Life: Blue Shift

At the start of the game, Freeman's security officer and friend Barney Calhoun sees him driving past him in a Black Mesa transport system train car. This happens before Freeman puts on the H.E.V., so he wears the same white coat with tie and badge on his chest as all the scientists on the complex. Later, at the very end of the addon, Calhoun, who accidentally teleported into the back room through the ventilation grill, sees two soldiers dragging the unconscious Freeman along the corridor (in the original Half-Life, this episode is in the middle of the game).

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Gordon and Alyx come to their senses at the foot of the dilapidated Alliance base. After establishing contact with Eli Vance and Isaac Kleiner, the heroes learn that the critically damaged Citadel will soon explode, destroying all life in the surrounding area. To prevent the explosion, Gordon and Alyx, led by Eli Vance, return to the Citadel in order to stabilize the reactor core and stop the slow fusion reaction that has begun. Along the way, the heroes manage to find out that the Alliance scientists have given up trying to stabilize the core, because after the destruction of the portal by Freeman, all external teleports and communication systems of the Alliance on Earth turned off with no hope of a quick recovery. Destabilizing the Citadel's reactor was the only way for the harvesters to get enough power to send some super-important message to their world. Alix manages to get a copy of the message, and she and Gordon leave the collapsing Citadel. After a long journey through the ruined city, they meet Barney Calhoun and help him ferry the rebels and fleeing citizens to the train station. The heroes leave the city on the last train, watching as a message is sent to the Alliance universe. Upon completion of the data transfer, the Citadel is annihilated, covering the train with Gordon and Alix with an explosive wave ...

Half Life 2: Episode Two

After Gordon and Alyx boarded the train and almost left City 17, the Citadel annihilates, forming a huge interdimensional funnel - a superportal through which a super-powerful Alliance army is preparing to pass to reinforce the earthly contingent, many times superior to the rebel forces, both numerically and technologically. Alyx carries a flash memory with very important information containing the plans of the Alliance command, as well as the frequency code of the superportal. Gordon and Alix need to get to the "White Grove" - the main base of the Resistance. On the way to the White Grove, Gordon manages to lose Alyx due to the attack of Combine hunter synths, and then save her with the help of an ant lion healing extract. The Vortigaunts assist him in this. Later, he talks to the G-Man who overtook him and learns some strange things about Alyx. Further, they need to overcome the forests and the parts of the Alliance located in them, deliver information and protect the White Grove. After Gordon has reached his target and the Rebels have repelled all attacks by the elite Alliance troops on the White Grove, the Resistance launches a satellite that broadcasts a signal opposite to the signal of the superportal, thereby closing it. After that, Freeman and Alyx need to go north - in search of the Boreas laboratory ship, which can become both the new hope of free humanity and the trump card of the Alliance, allowing it to take revenge and restore its power on Earth. At the very end of Episode Two, the Advisers penetrate the base and kill Alix's father, who did not have time to tell Gordon about the G-Man's true intentions.

Other games in the series

However, despite the name, H.E.V. It was developed not only for protection against dangerous environmental conditions, but also for use in combat conditions, for example, as an exoskeleton to protect contractors. Black Mesa is a military establishment, and apparently the P.C.V. Opposing Force), designed similar to H.E.V. technology (this is proved by the fact that the chargers for the "H.E.V." can be used to recharge the P.C.V.). In addition, the suit's ability to protect the wearer from bullet wounds and grenade or rocket launcher blasts seems somewhat overkill for a suit designed to protect scientists during dangerous experiments, toxic environments, and other unhealthy situations. [ ] It is also worth considering that the "standard training course" specified in the letter, which all users of the suit are required to complete, includes a part on working with military firearms.

The symbol on Gordon's suit is the Greek letter "λ" (lambda). In physics, this letter denotes the decay constant of radioactive elements. In addition to Gordon's costume, the symbol appears in the name of the game, replacing the letter "a" - HλLF-LIFE, and it is also the name of an entire complex in the Black Mesa (Lambda Complex) where teleportation is being researched. The lambda character is also present in Half Life 2, as a symbol of the Resistance, in memory of the events in Black Mesa.

References to Gordon Freeman in popular culture

AT Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory one of the characters tells Sam Fisher that "crowbars are used in silly video games", which is a clear reference to Gordon.
AT Call of Duty: United Offensive At the beginning of the first mission, two soldiers can be seen running. The name of the first is Corporal Gordon, the second is Corporal Freeman.
At the Stark Towers level in the game The Punisher, one scientist refers to another named "Dr. Freeman" and asks what sound he just heard, to which Dr. Freeman replies: “Maybe the physics department has opened an interdimensional portal… Ooh, space aliens!”. This is a link to the first level of

"You don't play Freeman, you are Gordon Freeman!"

Gabe Newell

Name Gordon Freeman

Occupation physicist, resistance fighter

Universe half-life

Featured in games Half Life, Half Life 2, Half Life 2 Episode One, Half Life 2 Episode Two

Meet, dear readers, Gordon Freeman, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Although I... You probably already know each other, right? Well, of course, of course, Dr. Gordon, although he did not receive the Nobel Prize, is more famous than many venerable scientists. But perhaps you won't mind if we get to know Mr. Freeman better?

Gordon Freeman is one of the most famous characters in computer games, which does not prevent him from remaining a mystery not only for the players, but even for his teammates in the game. Everything about Freeman knows, perhaps, only the no less mysterious G-man, and even the screenwriters of Valve, to whom we owe the birth of our hero to the world. Despite the wild popularity of the Half-Life series, Valve employees are very reluctant to share any information regarding the main character of the game. Players have to collect information about their idol literally bit by bit.

Let's see what we, ordinary people, managed to find out about the hero of the Resistance, the doctor of science, and finally, just a good man with a tire iron - Gordon Freeman.

Hero biography

Freeman was born in Seattle, Washington. Nothing is known about his family. Parents were able to give their son a decent education, not disregarding his interest in quantum physics, which arose in childhood. A young, promising student, whose idols were Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Richard Feynman, graduated from the University of Innsbruck in the mid-nineties. It was there, observing the practical research in the field of teleportation conducted by the university, that Gordon decides that he will connect his life with this field of science. As we know, in the end his dream came true, but if Freeman had known, how she'll wake up...

You can make a monument to Gordon ...

It is interesting: Initially, the developers of Half-Life wanted to name the protagonist Dyson Poincaré. Freeman Dyson is an American philosopher and physicist, and Henri Poincaré is a famous French mathematician.

Or you can become a Freeman yourself!

Later, in 1999, the scientist received a doctorate in physics and mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his work entitled "Observation of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Entanglement on Supraquantum Structures by Induction through Nonlinear Transuranic Crystal of Extremely Long Wavelength (ELW ) Pulse from Mode-Locked Source Array” (it can be roughly translated into Russian as “Observation of the EPR paradox (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement) on superquantum structures by induction through a nonlinear transuranium crystal of an ultra-long-wavelength (LWV) pulse from a lockable array of sources”).

Poor funding and the slow pace of research conducted in Innsbruck are forcing the newly minted Ph.D. to look for a new job. When Freeman was offered a job at the Black Mesa Research Center in New Mexico, he didn't hesitate for a minute. Still, he was invited by Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Gordon's longtime mentor and teacher, who had known him since Freeman's time at MIT. Government-sponsored, complex and top-secret teleportation research was on the way. Talented scientists were needed, and the doctor simply could not help but write an invitation letter to his beloved student, who by that time was 27 years old.

At Black Mesa, Freeman gets a position as a research assistant in the Anomalous Materials Laboratory, which focuses on nuclear physics and subatomic research. The scientist is issued a personal card with a third level of access, but since Freeman's work will be associated with a risk to his life, he has to take a course in working with a HEV protective suit ( H ardous E n V ironment). During the study, suspicions arise that the research is sponsored and controlled by the military - and why else would a training course include a test for the accuracy of shooting from automatic weapons and an underbarrel grenade launcher? Let me remind you that the guards are armed only with pistols and shotguns.

It is interesting: each employee of the research complex (from a simple security guard to a project manager) must have a personal identification card with them at any time. It is simply indispensable to do without it - checks are regular and strict, so it is not surprising that scientists and security guards do not always get along with each other. Think of electronic locks, the key to which is a scanned image of the retina, stationary first-aid kits on every corner; how quickly the military arrived to clean up... Do you still doubt that Black Mesa, among other things, was developing a secret weapon?

Gordon, like all the other participants in the project, lived right in the research complex, in a dorm room. Little is known about the relatives of the scientist at that time - he does not have a wife and children, but he has Good friends: Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Eli Vance and security guard Barney Calhoun, whom Freeman met before the events of Half-Life.

HEV suit: what it was in the first part and what it became in the second.

Letter to Freeman with an invitation to work at Black Mesa.

It is interesting: Gordon, apparently, was not averse to fooling around sometimes. Alyx in Half-Life 2: Episode One says that Dr. Kleiner once mentioned to her that Freeman and Calhoun were having a kind of competition to be the first to get through the ventilation shaft to Isaac's office when he accidentally closed the door from the outside. "Air duct. I know how much you love climbing them. Dr. Kleiner told how he lost the keys to the office, and you and Barney competed to see who could get inside the fastest.

At one fine moment, Freeman's measured life flies head over heels. An important experiment ends in disaster, hordes of aliens from another dimension break into Black Mesa, the military arrives at the accident site with orders to carry out a "cleansing". A young scientist has to pick up a crowbar and save his life, fighting his way to the Lambda complex, and from there to the world of Zen ... Having defeated the Nihiliant creature that controlled the alien invasion of Earth, Gordon will accept the offer work and go on a well-deserved rest.In ten years, G-man will remove Freeman from stasis, in which he has been all this time, and remind him of the concluded contract...

I think it makes no sense to talk in detail about the events of the Half-Life games, which probably everyone has played. What didn't you play? Yes, how is it possible!

Mystery man

Slender, with a fashionable beard, wearing glasses, who devoted himself entirely to his beloved work, Freeman is a typical, at first glance, example of a scientist, as we are used to seeing them in films and books. Gordon's non-superhero appearance slightly surprised the players: there were either faceless healthy marines (Quake, Doom), or parodies of them ( Duke Nukem). The more surprising was the contrast when this " bookworm took up arms and began his long and dangerous journey through Black Mesa.

Speaking of appearance. In no game in the Half-Life series do we see Gordon from the side. But nevertheless, they easily recognize him - the portrait of a scientist in a special suit flaunted on the loading screen and on the game box, so the image of the "bespectacled man with a tire iron" is firmly seated in the memory of the players.

You can still see Gordon - a special model was created for the network mode, which was absent in the game itself. A couple of times Freeman will meet players in additions to Half-Life (Blue Shift and Opposing Force). Playing as Adrian Shepard (Opposing Force), you can even try to kill Gordon, but the game will immediately end with the wording "Surveillance stopped: the subject tried to create a time paradox." And in the second add-on, just starting the game, we twice see Gordon without his famous HEV suit. Finally, at the very end of Blue Shift, the protagonist Barney Calhoun sees the soldiers dragging the unconscious Freeman across the floor to throw him under the press.

Soldiers drag Freeman under pressure. And we are slowly approaching the end of the Blue Shift expansion.

In this scene, the player is free to decide whether Freeman enters the portal and starts working on G-man or refuse such a tempting offer.

It is not known why, but Gordon Freeman is silent. Is always. The players were surprised, but didn't really complain. A separate bow to Valve for the fact that Gordon's silence does not look unnatural. Well, a person does not like to talk a lot, what can you do? According to Gabe Newell, Freeman's silence is due to the fact that the creators of the game wanted to achieve a better identification of the player with the main character in this way. For the same purpose, we watch the whole game "from the eyes" of Gordon and, as mentioned above, we never see him from the side. I must say, the guys from Valve did not miss - the effect of presence on top.

The silent determination with which Freeman cracks down on numerous enemies is no less surprising. Aside from the HEV training course, Gordon has only handled a weapon once in his life - this "weapon", a tennis ball cannon, he built himself at the age of six. But - since circumstances force you, there is nowhere to go, even if you are at least three times a doctor of science, you cannot do without violence in such cases.

If in the first game Freeman is a “reluctant hero”, who goes to the world of Zen only because he, in fact, has no other way out, then in Half-Life 2 Gordon is already a real hero. Even not so - Hero. He is known in person by both ordinary residents of City 17 and enemy soldiers; Freeman's appearance among the members of the Resistance instills hope in the hearts of people enslaved by the Alliance, and sows panic in the ranks of the enemy. Where Gordon Freeman is, there is victory! It cannot be said that this saying is far from the truth.

Meanwhile, Freeman, apparently, himself does not fully understand what role he plays in the confrontation between the Alliance and his employer - G-man "a. The latter prefers not to explain the orders given to Gordon, and he is not particularly interested in what and how Rumors have long circulated among Half-Life fans that G-man and Freeman are the same person based on two things: the names of the characters (compare - G ordon Free man and G-man), as well as an inexorable external resemblance. Almost nothing is known about G-man (thanks to the scriptwriters of the game), so the players can only guess whether Gordon will actually change the crowbar for a case after a while, and HEV for a business suit.

A famous shot from the second part of the game. Our hero is second from the left.

It is interesting: the famous mount and the HEV special suit have become symbols of the game. We can no longer imagine Freeman without his favorite crowbar and orange spacesuit. In fan site polls like "What's your favorite weapon in Half-Life?", the Crowbar holds a solid lead, sometimes second only to the Gravity Gun.

Gordon's relationship with the opposite sex has long haunted the minds of players. There were no women at all in the first game. In Half-Life 2, the developers decided to correct this misunderstanding, and as a result, Alyx Vance, the daughter of Eli Vance, becomes one of the main characters of the second part, during the events of the first game, a very small girl. Now this is a young beautiful woman who can, on occasion, stand up for herself with a weapon in her hands. In Episode One, Alyx is next to Freeman throughout the game, and, apparently, she is far from indifferent to our hero. One can only guess about Freeman's attitude towards Alyx - without violating the traditions of the series, he does not utter a single word throughout the game.

It is interesting: Gordon caused the appearance Easter eggs in many games. References to Freeman and his favorite crowbar can be found both in the recent Stalker and in GTA San Andreas, and in Sacred (in this game you can find a grave in which rests ... "Gordon Freeman's tire iron"!).

Well, perhaps, the acquaintance can be considered over. Yes, I know that you (like me) want to know more about our guest today, but nothing can be done - Mr. Freeman is in a hurry. The long-awaited Half-Life 2: Episode Two hit the shelves, and Dr. Gordon needs to hurry up. What awaits him? Maybe he won't be so silent now? Maybe we will find out after all whether he is indifferent to Alix? Maybe ... But why all these questions? It is best to buy a CD and find out the answers yourself. Here I am now, having added these lines, I will launch the game, pick up my favorite mount and show the headcrabs where the crayfish hibernate!