Thanks for watching! I finally made it to Gordon Freeman. Would you play a "Half-Life: G-Man" game? Thanks again to Manta Sleep for sponsoring this video! Check them out here bit.ly/3SQQOwJ and use code "SKYRIONN" to get 10% off your order!
I love that the hero of this story is not some exotic being with otherworldly powers, or anything like that. When the story starts, he's just a guy who is late for work.
I had an idea a while back; that it was Adrian Shepard rather than Gordon Freeman that G-Man wanted to destroy Nihilanth in HL1. While G-Man looks curiously towards Freeman a few times but doesn't really interfere with him, he seems to more actively direct Shepard's progress: freeing him from the room of toxic waste, blocking his departure on the V-22 Osprey, reactivating the bomb he'd only just deactivated. He even appears in the 'Boot Camp' training segment. It seems like Shepard and his unit were a more controlled factor to G-Man while Freeman was more a random element. And I'm sure G-Man was intrigued that Freeman defied his expectations and became the one to destroy Nihilanth instead.
That also kind of adds to the G-man seeing Gordon as the “Right Man in the Wrong Place” since he was originally the “Wrong Man in the Right Place” according to this theory
Imagine The sound of a security guard with all his gear rushing through The ventilation system. You are some shmuck in a lab testing and planning diesel fuel prototype or something More wacky, than you get spooked as some maniac is crawling in The vents, giggling away while at it.
Gordon being teleported into Breen's office, and then being teleported there AGAIN when Breen is calling the Advisor, getting both of their attention is near-comedic.
I bet no one believed Breen the first time..... yeah right, Gordan freeman teleported into your office, left a doozy on the desk, then dipped out? SURE, LMAO LOLOLOL
When bashing the crowbar around like a caveman in game, it's easy to forget that Gordon is canonically a scientific genius with the same unauthoritative caliber of education as Kliner or Eli. I always wondered what deeper questions he was asking about the new world he found himself in; the alien life, combine tech, the overall impactions for the multiverse... But more importantly, just how did he get so good at killing things? Side theory: After being hired by the Gman, Gordan no longer needs sleep. He's awake for nearly a week by Episode 2.
It’s my head cannon he stops to rest. For example, small empty shacks you find on the highway/coast section, stuff like that. I’m personally an insomiac. You’d be surprised how far you can go on no sleep if you push yourself hard enough. Once walked 20 miles in a day after not eating for a week and not sleeping for almost 3 days
It's a shame that Gordon's VA didn't want to play the role anymore, it would have been great to get a wrap-up to this story. Then again, not sure Valve would have wanted to bring him back in after all the things he said...
@@idfkimaclownAnd he's good at staying silent too according to the prison guards, no matter what they do to him. I wonder if he's spent decades being silent? Lol
I like that even though Gordon is supposed to blank state character that hasn’t stopped Valve from giving him a detailed backstory of his origins as a scientist and his connections to other characters as well ad plenty of characterization as a stoic person that can remain calm and work through problems with his own intelligence even under immense pressure I’m really hoping we get to see more of Gordon’s story someday
detailed backstory as his origins as a scientist? That 'detailed backstory' occurs in the game as a 5 second on-screen text saying NAME: Gordan Freeman COLLEGE: MIT, PhD physics
@@pyropulseIXXI there’s stuff like the retail release manual, tidbits in the Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar book and comments from series writer Marc Laidlaw
@@jess648 Also, it is funny how Gordan has a PhD in physics, and his job at Black Mesa is literally low-level, grunt/technician work And he not only had a PhD, but he did post-doc work as well
It's so wild to think that Gordon just went to work one morning and participated in an accident that sent him and the rest of humanity down a path of unforeseen consequences. Like he doesn't get a moment of rest, during one moment he's fighting for his life in black mesa, killing an alien overlord and getting recruited by an interdimensional creepy guy in a suit and a couple of seconds later he gets teleported onto a train which leads to him becoming the posterchild of humanities resistance against a oppresive alien empire.
It's funny how, after years of knowing Gordon as an alcoholic sociopath, hearing about his canonical friendly, helpful personality is what feels weird to me.
Imo he's not sociopathic, he's so tired and so thoroughly traumatized by the end of hl series that he's just grown numb to practically everything. Finding out that the alien race you were killing en masse for nearly 2 days straight were actually enslaved and forced to fight you would break most people, even though justifiably in self defense.
After scrolling down through many comments Yours stands out I didn’t know about this backstory And it doesn’t mesh with how those around Gordon treated him
I always thought Gordon was an anomaly. He never speaks, but his somewhat close relationship with the people around him (like the black mesa folks) makes me think he used to be able to speak. Or maybe he just appeared one day and all the people around him were given false memories. Any way, its interesting stuff.
It’s more like he can actually speak in-universe but we just don’t see them in-game much like that Barracks scene from Opposing Force where the Sergeant asks you about your name, a few seconds of silence happens afterwards and then the Sergeant says something like, “Sounds like you have a pair”.
Nah he speaks, it's more like WE the audience can't hear what he says, it probably wouldn't matter since we are in his shoes so he's a blank slate for us to easily possess.
@@agrastiOs I'm crippled, Facebook own Oculus so that hardware is out, I don't have the room for sensor towers even if I could prance around in VR. So until somebody who isn't Meta starts selling an inside out tracking headset so I can use it while sat down, there will be no VR for me.
Can you imagine if Gordon actually talked or was a separate character? What he would think about the world overall and about the Gman and everything else and what his personality would look like.. Also there will be no lore video about the Gman cause it's will quickly be theory video lmao
I never want Gordon Freeman to speak. What I DO WANT is Valve to make a just a lore document from the POV of Gordon's thoughts and feelings to his literal self. Aside from Ross Scott who I do love, I want a legitimate canon book telling me how Gordon felt through his story of Half Life 1 to HL2EP2. I know he doesn't speak as for him to be a blank canvas for you to fill in and experience it AS him. But I want details of my characters personality in game.
I never heard of Gordon's past in Innsbruck, Austria. It really opens up the world of Half Life to other research and maybe resistance centers around the world. I really like that Half Life 2 was set in eastern Europe I think, because of the Combine relocating everybody as a strategy to control the population. A lot of games and movies come from the USA and also take place there, so it's always a welcome change of scenery to have stories take place somewhere else.
Theory, Gordon went to a crazy concert the day before and got a sore throat, thus can't talk until it heals... It's technically only been a couple of days or so since for him
Dr. Freeman is one of my favorite video game protagonists. He's the one guy who can destroy his enemies while solving various quantum physics problems in his head.
You can not determine the both the speed and position of Freeman's crowbar at the same time, the more you know about one, the more likely you'll be dead before you can figure out the other.
The amount of love and care that goes into these videos is truly wonderful to see my man, keep it up!!! (Also I’ll forever associate lab practicum with your videos lol)
That's kind of you to say! I felt like I betrayed my usual format by adding a few different tracks into this video but I've not had any complaints yet 😂
@@Skyrionn you won’t get any complaints from me 😂, your use of Resonance while describing the aftermath of the cascade paired with your visuals worked really well! I’ve always loved that track+scene composition, powerful stuff for sure.
Thing is, when people think about tortured characters or characters that have gone through so much shit, i barely hear the mention of gordon freeman, dude was an amazing scientist, sure, but he goes through hell and back, watxhing all his peers die, having to fight aliens, the army, a special team of assassins, sleeping like, 3 times in the span of a week (from his perspective going from half life 1 to half life 2 episodes), the first being knocked out, the second being knocked out again and placed against the assasins i think, the third being stasis, and there was a fourth i think im forgetting, kills alien gods, wakes up, goes right back to fighting for his life, now against a militarized alien race, also aknowledging that 20 years have been robbed from him while in stasis and seeing the world has come to shit, fighting the combine and seeing the horrors they experimented with, and so much more Oh, and i fucking forgot, seeing his lifelong friend die in front of him in a horrific manner (tho afterwards it was "fixed" by Alyx) Poor dude had it rough
Strange that you have done so many videos on HL characters and it never occurred to me that you hadn't done one on the player character. This was a very good one.
So far watching this, one critique. The crowbar Barney gives Gordon isn't the same exact crowbar Gordon used back in half life 1. He is established to be a jokester ("About that beer I owed you!" and "Pulling that switch? Your MIT is really paying off!") so it makes more sense that he heard that Gordon used a crowbar back in Black Mesa and decided to give one to him as a joke/callback.
Awesome vid! I love how many details here on Gordon's life details during Black Mesa come from the PS2 version of the game's manual. Going from scientist to freedom fighter is a wild change of career.
When I was a child and played half life 1 and 2 I thought Gordon was a badass but now that im a young adult and had played the two games again I just can say God, poor Gordon, he has witnessed so many things.
A fun fact The only reason why the creators of the game make you go on buses and trains to get where the game first starts is because they want you to not feel so free because Gordon's last name is Freeman but he only has one way to go and one way to leave
Quite surprised that there wasn't anything on how Gordon learned how to use firearms and such, some say Black mesa gave most hev users firearm training,((HL1)) and some say it was a fun little paperwork mixup during his training sending him over to the Guard training area((B-Mesa)). Which ever it was it sure came in handy, just like the Long jump training. :D
If we take the PS2 Game as canon (which this vid uses info from, so I guess we do) then the HEV suit also has a little bit of targeting software built in. Honestly I just think that's a really cool in-universe way to explain the autoaim they had to add for the PS2 version hahah
i enjoy the headcanon that gordons silence in the second game is a trauma response to everything that has happened during the black mesa incident, hell the response could have formed in the latter half of his ordeal there as well! especially going through xen, with no one around. Earlier one in half life, scientists and guards respond as if your talking to them, but in half life 2 npcs actively comment on your silence(alyx in the opening, i cant remember others specifically but i have foggy memories of others).
did anyone else play along as if u were freeman during the game? i found myself nodding alot when getting praise in episode 2 and had a good laugh about it a few times
My first impulse was to give Alyx a hug after that stalker landed on top of her after the train crash and she was visibly stressed out. Mad that wasn't an option.
I find myself nodding the camera a lot as if I'm agreeing and disagreeing to many things. It would be cool if a mod, or even Valve themselves implemented something where if you chose to nod your head at a simple yes or no question asked by an NPC, you'd get different dialogue, or a whole other event entirely.
One thing i love about half life's storyline, is that it glorifies the sheer might of indomitable human determination and strength, that through everything, they still find a way. And i feel like gordon freeman is the epitome of the concept.
Gordon Freeman is what one would call a Wildcard. the G-Man never really intended to use Gordon for anything specific, but rather Adrian Shepard. but because Gordon seemed to get out on top, no matter the odds, he took him into stasis, in case he could use his Talent once more. and in Half-Life 2, that is exactly what happened. everyone knew of Gordon Freeman, and what he did. he was a Symbol of hope long before he returned even, and the G-Man knew he could use this to his advantage to steer the course of history where he wanted it to go. but during it all, when the Vortigaunts found him and rescued him from the G-Man, they also severed the link between them that Gordon gained when he walked into the Green Portal after the Black Mesa Incident, thus rendering him unable to take Gordon back into stasis to use him further. that is why Alyx was taken instead, as she looked up to Gordon, and she learned a LOT both because of him and from him as well, and the G-Man could use this. whenever the G-Man gives you an offer, the one that you can accept to work for him ALWAYS creates a direct connection between them, which means that the G-Man can and will interfere and steer you where ever he pleases or needs. Adrian Shepard is the one person we have yet to see anything of after the Black Mesa Incident, but i think he is going to play a MAJOR role in Half-Life 3 once it rolls out. either that, or he will be in a game of his own that leads into Half-Life 3, setting his role there in stone. or rather, setting it in Code haha!
I like to think that G-man will use adrian against Gordon if hl3 ever occurs, i mean both of them survived the black mesa incident and. Both survived against all odds. Though shepard was helped in many occasions by the G-MAN he still closed a portal from the X race ( with some kind of worm in it), so i think it could be an even fight, something like the V1 vs V2 in ultrakill, god it could be a good one
its so stupid but amazing that they made the microwave thing cannon and that the grudge was held for 20 years like i can just imagine the dude running through gunfire and electricity thinking “i was gonna eat the shit out of that”
The quality of your videos is just insane! So much love to the details… Keep up the work, I hope one day, your videos will blow up, like they deserve :) Oh maybe you could make a video about this whole „two separate timelines“ thing and share your own theory ^^
Thanks Caspar! This one took a lot to put together but I'm glad it came out the way it did - along with the changes I made to the format. New music, a different end screen, new pop-ups ect.. I'm actually planning on a timeline with both of the universes. We'll see how it goes though
*while blasting combine troops across all of City 17* "I can't believe I got a PhD for this shit. 'Oh Gordon. Please save us. You're the only one who fits in the hazard suit.' Really?! Couldn't make one in Barney's size?! CHRIST!" And thus this rage feeds his killing spree.
My favorite quality of Gordon Freeman is that he’s, by all accounts, a nerd, a brainiac scientist, who probably hadn’t even held a gun once before the Resonance Cascade, yet, the moment Gordon picks up a gun, boom. Instant super soldier badass.
This makes replaying halflife a much different experience, we were not only traversing through Gordon's workplace, but also his home. Adds another layer of what Gordon was feeling running though the halls as everything blew up and his friends lay dead on the ground.
Excellent. As someone returning to obtaining the games and playing them for the first time in 20 years, it is truly wonderful to see how engaged everyone is. Your take on Gordan was eye opening. Thanks much and good luck.
This was awesome! I've finished the HL games a million times over but there were still some things I've missed :D I enjoyed the video but that brought back the pain of knowing that we'll probably never see HL3 :(
"Doctor Freeeeeman.. I realize this may not be the most opportune moment for a heart to heart, but I had to wait until Skyrionn made a new lore video regarding your eh eh, employment."
Ah dannnnnggg~ I haven't even watched yet, but Gordon himself, done in your style? I'm hyped. I got Half-Life with my first PC, and I've been a fan ever since then. I love these deep dives on one specific thing at a time. Especially about portal because ah.. I've not had the time to dig deep into that myself lol.
Since G-Man needs a new pawn for his work, why not use Adrian Shepard?? He’s a highly-trained marine, and he’s sitting in stasis, waiting to fight. He’s just RIGHT there
Thinking about it the G-Mans "threat" to teleport Gordon into an unwinnable fight just meant back to Black Mesa, he could have just killed or stranded Gordon or even just left him to die in the aftermath of the Nihlaths death. There was no real reason to just teleport him to a fight he couldn't win, he could have just have threatened to kill him or strand him where he was. During the intro to HL2 he told Gordon "all the effort in the world could not have made a difference" in the events on Earth during his absence, perhaps his threat actually just meant he would simply send him back to Earth where he could not have changed the outcome as it was unwinnable and accepting his offer simply meant returning him to a point in time he could change the outcome.
i feel in love with this series soooooo many years ago. What i never understood is why they never adapted this into a movie or a series. There is so much material there it just seems like it lends itself for that to happen. Hopefully one day
Skyrionn, i didnt watch this just yet but keep up the great work man. i love your half life content. youre my absolute favorite creator making these videos!!!
Amazing video, I’ve not really heard much about his life prior to the resonance cascade. Such a chill video too, great work! I have kill counted a vast majority of HL games and Gordon is certainly ranked high with the amount of enemies he has killed on his journey to survive!
I think something worth noting about GF, something that occurred to me while replaying BM recently….Freeman possessed a nearly psychopathic character trait. I mean this seriously. His position at BM rested entirely on a willingness to experiment with tech that was potentially catastrophic if misused or abused, and once it was, he quickly and most effectively, began to kill without second thought or remorse. The scientific imperative switched from experimentation (ie dissecting small animals in your parents basement) to homicidal survival, which involved killing everyone and everything that got in his way. I think there’s an interesting case to be made that GF might very well have been the right Predator in the wrong place.
That's true, it's most likely why Gman saw his potential and made everything possible so that things would play out in a way that would benefit him and his employers as well as hire him for his services due to his latent talent. Although we can't forget Gordon seems to be really fond of his friends and co-workers at Black Mesa since he does save many and becomes a hero to many, it's obvious he's not a complete murderous killing machine. He's got a perfect balance.
@@Skyrionn it’s a little twisted I’m not gonna lie. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how homicidal our heroes really are. Every Jedi ever was an absolute killer. Indiana Jones. John Wick. These are all the good guys and they’re completely fine with what they do. Believe it or not, Michael Corleone is the one anti hero I can think of that was truly perturbed by him first kill. Even Walter White seemed to rebound pretty quickly and get rid of the body.
Pretty informative and well compiled video of Gordon's feats! HL is such a masterpiece and I would truly hope Valve makes more games and faster too. Question, would you cover the events of the amazing mods, Entropy: Zero 1 & 2 ? I'd say they deserve the coverage and it wouldn't be too farfetched that EZ2 could almost feel like the HL2 EP3 we never had...
Lovely content. I know content like this takes a very long time, is a lot of effort and work, and is super grueling, but this was definitely worth the wait. Thanks for the great content
It's sad to be reminded of all the trauma this character went through while we were blinded by epic gameplay of a game with over 50 game of the year awards. He was nearly a victim of govournment silencing and was just a theoretical physicist who accidentally caused the resonance cascade back in 1998 or 200[year unknown].
One thing I never noticed until recently was that Gordon didn’t even hold a high security clearance. He was only level 3. That’s what I love about half life 1, they don’t tell you much at all about what’s happening around you. There’s so much mystery and ambience.
It's funny that it took so long to get to literally the main character. I guess that's just the unique nature of the protagonist that is gordon freeman
I know this is late and you will likely miss it but thank you for your content. I love listening in and it really keeps my mind focused when I'm playing games.
Its also strange to think how the events of decades take place over just a few days to Freeman. Everyone has been fighting for decades while Freeman was on the way to work just a few days ago expecting another normal work day. Has to be kind of jarring.
Not to mention that he freed earth from the combines grasp in Just a week and 2 days (since you first arrived at the train station all the way to Nova prospekt 2 days had just passed, and then when you get back at city 17 only a week has passed, and assuming Gordon while in stasis was unconscious, for him he entered the portal and then he woke up immediately to see that it has passed a freaking decade in just a couple of seconds for him. My lad must be having an internal breakdown after seeing the combine for the first time
It's funny that this is so deep. Seeing as, from my perspective, Gordon just spent 2 days escorting a purple hat across a war zone and into another universe.
I'm used to think of gordon not like a character but a template to throw yourselve into. But I've liked hearing this, after all he is an important character
the uality and content of this video is if i may say so, the best and highest one on this channel so far. a lot of work was put in it and its visible. i thank you for doing so
I like that the exact amount of time we spend with him in all the games is exactly how its been perceived to him as well. So little time, so many year's
Thanks for watching! I finally made it to Gordon Freeman.
Would you play a "Half-Life: G-Man" game?
Thanks again to Manta Sleep for sponsoring this video! Check them out here bit.ly/3SQQOwJ and use code "SKYRIONN" to get 10% off your order!
yeah
if there were cameos
I'd be more-than-happy to play a half life : G-man game!
Press E to wake up Gordon Freeman
Of course
Well briefcase throwing and stalking simulator sounds kind of fun
I love that the hero of this story is not some exotic being with otherworldly powers, or anything like that. When the story starts, he's just a guy who is late for work.
I agree 100%
Quiet, unassuming, and... he's late for work.
@@mattstorm360 Hell on wheels with a crowbar and a shotgun, though.
What if Gordon Freeman lost his glasses? 👓
Then had the world's worst week
I had an idea a while back; that it was Adrian Shepard rather than Gordon Freeman that G-Man wanted to destroy Nihilanth in HL1. While G-Man looks curiously towards Freeman a few times but doesn't really interfere with him, he seems to more actively direct Shepard's progress: freeing him from the room of toxic waste, blocking his departure on the V-22 Osprey, reactivating the bomb he'd only just deactivated. He even appears in the 'Boot Camp' training segment. It seems like Shepard and his unit were a more controlled factor to G-Man while Freeman was more a random element. And I'm sure G-Man was intrigued that Freeman defied his expectations and became the one to destroy Nihilanth instead.
Yeah that makes perfect sense actually
After reading this and thinking back about my playthrough it does make sense.
He’s called “Free-man” for a reason
wow i never thought about it like that but yeah that would make sense thats pretty cool
That also kind of adds to the G-man seeing Gordon as the “Right Man in the Wrong Place” since he was originally the “Wrong Man in the Right Place” according to this theory
I love that Gordon is good at climbing through vents is because he was trying to beat Barney in a race to unlock a door.
“I’ll free Kleiner first!”
“Oh yeah? You don’t stand a chance!”
@@SonicMaster519 "watch me you handsome bastard"
@@thenexus8384 **competitive muted gestures**
Imagine The sound of a security guard with all his gear rushing through The ventilation system.
You are some shmuck in a lab testing and planning diesel fuel prototype or something More wacky, than you get spooked as some maniac is crawling in The vents, giggling away while at it.
Lol fr
i love how the microwave incident is actually something that's important to the story
Oh my god!
What are you doing!?
@@meggubravo8373 WAAAAAAAAAK
@@heliosmascSTAHP
I also love how Dr. Magnusson never got over it even after 20 years
@@srntnjl523 i mean, its one thing to have it ruined, its another when you couldnt exactly make it again anymore after the Combine arrived
Don't forget his brother who faced full-life consequences: John Freeman.
John Freeman, the two free man
@@therealevilmudbug Curious how he would explain about the 'pants were dead' and how this fits into John Freeman's story.
And then the zombie ghosts
😂 😂
if it weren't for john freeman the combines would still have gordon tricked
Gordon being teleported into Breen's office, and then being teleported there AGAIN when Breen is calling the Advisor, getting both of their attention is near-comedic.
I bet no one believed Breen the first time..... yeah right, Gordan freeman teleported into your office, left a doozy on the desk, then dipped out? SURE, LMAO LOLOLOL
yea
Gordon was like: wait go back, was that my old administrator Doctor fucking Breen!?
Breen: "but he was there!"
Advisor: "nah bro u cappin"
Gordon: "oh hi breen"
Them: 👀👀
@@creativegamer_03 half-life 2 but gen Z lol
When bashing the crowbar around like a caveman in game, it's easy to forget that Gordon is canonically a scientific genius with the same unauthoritative caliber of education as Kliner or Eli. I always wondered what deeper questions he was asking about the new world he found himself in; the alien life, combine tech, the overall impactions for the multiverse... But more importantly, just how did he get so good at killing things?
Side theory: After being hired by the Gman, Gordan no longer needs sleep. He's awake for nearly a week by Episode 2.
Well the man did sleep for like 20 years
i'm pretty sure the developers said that gordan does actually rest in half life 2 periodically, while we dont see it, he does sleep
Do you know about "Freeman's mind" series? Those are answering such questions)
It’s my head cannon he stops to rest. For example, small empty shacks you find on the highway/coast section, stuff like that. I’m personally an insomiac. You’d be surprised how far you can go on no sleep if you push yourself hard enough. Once walked 20 miles in a day after not eating for a week and not sleeping for almost 3 days
@@stuglife5514 thats a pretty traumatic thing for your body, hope youre doing better
Fun fact: the name “white forest” is actually the opposite of “black mesa”
It is!
@@Skyrionn thanks for the reply
Never noticed It
my knowledge has increased by 1% today. far more than it had ever increased at school
@@Kingpigaxe Legit a glowing brain genius.
It's a shame that Gordon's VA didn't want to play the role anymore, it would have been great to get a wrap-up to this story. Then again, not sure Valve would have wanted to bring him back in after all the things he said...
Too bad he got arrested for not cooperating with a cop. Wouldnt even speak to him...
@@Mglue3 I hope they take his VA out of death row, in case Valve wants to do HL3
@@zuper6475 I hear they have a breakout planned. Gordon’s VA is staying Hush Hush about it tho
@@idfkimaclown The man knows what silence is worth.
@@idfkimaclownAnd he's good at staying silent too according to the prison guards, no matter what they do to him.
I wonder if he's spent decades being silent? Lol
I like that even though Gordon is supposed to blank state character that hasn’t stopped Valve from giving him a detailed backstory of his origins as a scientist and his connections to other characters as well ad plenty of characterization as a stoic person that can remain calm and work through problems with his own intelligence even under immense pressure
I’m really hoping we get to see more of Gordon’s story someday
detailed backstory as his origins as a scientist? That 'detailed backstory' occurs in the game as a 5 second on-screen text saying NAME: Gordan Freeman
COLLEGE: MIT, PhD physics
@@pyropulseIXXI there’s stuff like the retail release manual, tidbits in the Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar book and comments from series writer Marc Laidlaw
@@jess648 Yeah I know, I was kinda joking since his 'background' as a scientist is just a blurp in game
@@jess648 Also, it is funny how Gordan has a PhD in physics, and his job at Black Mesa is literally low-level, grunt/technician work
And he not only had a PhD, but he did post-doc work as well
@@pyropulseIXXI the fan remake Black Mesa has a scene where a scientist complains about exactly that to a coworker lmao
It's so wild to think that Gordon just went to work one morning and participated in an accident that sent him and the rest of humanity down a path of unforeseen consequences. Like he doesn't get a moment of rest, during one moment he's fighting for his life in black mesa, killing an alien overlord and getting recruited by an interdimensional creepy guy in a suit and a couple of seconds later he gets teleported onto a train which leads to him becoming the posterchild of humanities resistance against a oppresive alien empire.
to be fair he did sleep for 20 years between HL1 and HL2.
It is most likely that he's been processing everything as if it was the same week@@lsswappedcessna
It's funny how, after years of knowing Gordon as an alcoholic sociopath, hearing about his canonical friendly, helpful personality is what feels weird to me.
Imo he's not sociopathic, he's so tired and so thoroughly traumatized by the end of hl series that he's just grown numb to practically everything. Finding out that the alien race you were killing en masse for nearly 2 days straight were actually enslaved and forced to fight you would break most people, even though justifiably in self defense.
@@usrnewxnew5227 He was talking about Freeman's Mind the webseries lol
@@Zakkious oh. i know it but havent seen it.
After scrolling down through many comments
Yours stands out
I didn’t know about this backstory
And it doesn’t mesh with how those around Gordon treated him
@luminouswolf7117 it's a reference to a very old RUclips series called freemans mind.
I always thought Gordon was an anomaly. He never speaks, but his somewhat close relationship with the people around him (like the black mesa folks) makes me think he used to be able to speak. Or maybe he just appeared one day and all the people around him were given false memories.
Any way, its interesting stuff.
That's a really good theory honestly, maybe they get false memories when Gordon gets close to them this would explain everyone knowing him.
It’s more like he can actually speak in-universe but we just don’t see them in-game much like that Barracks scene from Opposing Force where the Sergeant asks you about your name, a few seconds of silence happens afterwards and then the Sergeant says something like, “Sounds like you have a pair”.
Theory time: Gordon's Jaw was damaged during the resonance cascade and he couldn't speak because of it
Ultimate Theory: Gman gagged gordon and other characters so that they wouldnt tell anyone about him
Nah he speaks, it's more like WE the audience can't hear what he says, it probably wouldn't matter since we are in his shoes so he's a blank slate for us to easily possess.
Inventive way of explaining the ending without spoiling EP2 or Alyx
Glad you caught that 😂 I did my best to tell both stories
@@Skyrionn yeah seriously nicely done
Might as well spoil Alyx, I am unlikely to ever play it given my circumstances, and as long as it is marked as spoilers it should be fine.
@@Voltaic_Fire why not ever?
@@agrastiOs I'm crippled, Facebook own Oculus so that hardware is out, I don't have the room for sensor towers even if I could prance around in VR. So until somebody who isn't Meta starts selling an inside out tracking headset so I can use it while sat down, there will be no VR for me.
Can we just appreciate how great of a job freeman's voice actor did?
Edit: y'all are stupid. The best voice line was *interact sound*
Yeah, my favorite quotes have gotta be "..." and "it's Freemaning time" (before proceeding to Freeman all over the Combine)
@@Java_Protogen Modern comedy is golden.
@@Java_Protogen Actually the best Freeman lines are *access denied. Morphine administered* and *insert button pressing sounds*
@@erieriderschillingcorner1595 "seek medical attention"
@@CHR-0-MA "Emergency, user death imminent"
Can you imagine if Gordon actually talked or was a separate character? What he would think about the world overall and about the Gman and everything else and what his personality would look like.. Also there will be no lore video about the Gman cause it's will quickly be theory video lmao
If Gordon ever does talk, I want him to sound like Ross Scott.
If you’ve never looked up Freeman’s Mind… you really should. You’d like it!
No. Gordon should not talk. STFU.
If we ever get a live action. I don't think he should speak.
I never want Gordon Freeman to speak. What I DO WANT is Valve to make a just a lore document from the POV of Gordon's thoughts and feelings to his literal self. Aside from Ross Scott who I do love, I want a legitimate canon book telling me how Gordon felt through his story of Half Life 1 to HL2EP2.
I know he doesn't speak as for him to be a blank canvas for you to fill in and experience it AS him. But I want details of my characters personality in game.
I've always thought that the G-man's line "The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world" added lore to the game.
I never heard of Gordon's past in Innsbruck, Austria. It really opens up the world of Half Life to other research and maybe resistance centers around the world. I really like that Half Life 2 was set in eastern Europe I think, because of the Combine relocating everybody as a strategy to control the population. A lot of games and movies come from the USA and also take place there, so it's always a welcome change of scenery to have stories take place somewhere else.
2 days ago I've been in Innsbruck.
However, there's no Crowbar easter egg to be found 🥺
Theory, Gordon went to a crazy concert the day before and got a sore throat, thus can't talk until it heals... It's technically only been a couple of days or so since for him
I like that. Seems we’ve only been in his perspective for over the course of a week.
It has been a rough few days for him
Yea, I figured either concert, or maybe he just had his tonsils removed
Dr. Freeman is one of my favorite video game protagonists. He's the one guy who can destroy his enemies while solving various quantum physics problems in his head.
He reduces your constants without you even knowing. This is the origin of the _reduced Plank's constant._
You can not determine the both the speed and position of Freeman's crowbar at the same time, the more you know about one, the more likely you'll be dead before you can figure out the other.
The amount of love and care that goes into these videos is truly wonderful to see my man, keep it up!!! (Also I’ll forever associate lab practicum with your videos lol)
That's kind of you to say!
I felt like I betrayed my usual format by adding a few different tracks into this video but I've not had any complaints yet 😂
@@Skyrionn you won’t get any complaints from me 😂, your use of Resonance while describing the aftermath of the cascade paired with your visuals worked really well! I’ve always loved that track+scene composition, powerful stuff for sure.
@@Skyrionn Bro what you talking about? all the songs you used in the video are great and fit the ambience perfectly.
Thing is, when people think about tortured characters or characters that have gone through so much shit, i barely hear the mention of gordon freeman, dude was an amazing scientist, sure, but he goes through hell and back, watxhing all his peers die, having to fight aliens, the army, a special team of assassins, sleeping like, 3 times in the span of a week (from his perspective going from half life 1 to half life 2 episodes), the first being knocked out, the second being knocked out again and placed against the assasins i think, the third being stasis, and there was a fourth i think im forgetting, kills alien gods, wakes up, goes right back to fighting for his life, now against a militarized alien race, also aknowledging that 20 years have been robbed from him while in stasis and seeing the world has come to shit, fighting the combine and seeing the horrors they experimented with, and so much more
Oh, and i fucking forgot, seeing his lifelong friend die in front of him in a horrific manner (tho afterwards it was "fixed" by Alyx)
Poor dude had it rough
The voice of Ross Scott will forever be associated as Freeman's cannon voice
I don't even know who that is.
Watch, "mind of freeman"!
Nah it’s Duke Nukem
“So wake up, Freeman. Wake up and- smell the ashes.” Always gave me chills. It’s creepy, ominous.
Strange that you have done so many videos on HL characters and it never occurred to me that you hadn't done one on the player character. This was a very good one.
Thanks for watching it! I've meant to make it for a while but there were so many things to talk about ☺ I'll get around to Alyx too!
So far watching this, one critique. The crowbar Barney gives Gordon isn't the same exact crowbar Gordon used back in half life 1. He is established to be a jokester ("About that beer I owed you!" and "Pulling that switch? Your MIT is really paying off!") so it makes more sense that he heard that Gordon used a crowbar back in Black Mesa and decided to give one to him as a joke/callback.
You may be correct there :P
Awesome vid! I love how many details here on Gordon's life details during Black Mesa come from the PS2 version of the game's manual. Going from scientist to freedom fighter is a wild change of career.
I think that's what I love the most about the series. The information is scattered all over.
Some would say a necessary career change!
he hasn't slept in over a week
@thediam0nddrag0n78 who?
When I was a child and played half life 1 and 2 I thought Gordon was a badass but now that im a young adult and had played the two games again I just can say
God, poor Gordon, he has witnessed so many things.
I absolutely loved listening to that. Thank you so much for the stuff you create and give to us to feed our lore-hungry minds.
Thanks for watching them! There's more to come too
Yea bro😂
A fun fact The only reason why the creators of the game make you go on buses and trains to get where the game first starts is because they want you to not feel so free because Gordon's last name is Freeman but he only has one way to go and one way to leave
That hit deep
Quite surprised that there wasn't anything on how Gordon learned how to use firearms and such, some say Black mesa gave most hev users firearm training,((HL1)) and some say it was a fun little paperwork mixup during his training sending him over to the Guard training area((B-Mesa)). Which ever it was it sure came in handy, just like the Long jump training. :D
Remember: he's american
The hazard course is something every employee who goes in contact with the HEV suit goes tho.
If we take the PS2 Game as canon (which this vid uses info from, so I guess we do) then the HEV suit also has a little bit of targeting software built in.
Honestly I just think that's a really cool in-universe way to explain the autoaim they had to add for the PS2 version hahah
i enjoy the headcanon that gordons silence in the second game is a trauma response to everything that has happened during the black mesa incident, hell the response could have formed in the latter half of his ordeal there as well! especially going through xen, with no one around. Earlier one in half life, scientists and guards respond as if your talking to them, but in half life 2 npcs actively comment on your silence(alyx in the opening, i cant remember others specifically but i have foggy memories of others).
Thank you. This is awesome beyond words. One of the best stories I have ever seen in a game and you told it faithfully.
I do my best to tell the stories in the best way. Thanks for watching!
did anyone else play along as if u were freeman during the game? i found myself nodding alot when getting praise in episode 2 and had a good laugh about it a few times
My first impulse was to give Alyx a hug after that stalker landed on top of her after the train crash and she was visibly stressed out. Mad that wasn't an option.
I find myself nodding the camera a lot as if I'm agreeing and disagreeing to many things. It would be cool if a mod, or even Valve themselves implemented something where if you chose to nod your head at a simple yes or no question asked by an NPC, you'd get different dialogue, or a whole other event entirely.
I felt guilty when I met Magnusson on "The Incident".
I have a series on my channel where I play somewhat like that
One thing i love about half life's storyline, is that it glorifies the sheer might of indomitable human determination and strength, that through everything, they still find a way. And i feel like gordon freeman is the epitome of the concept.
Gordon Freeman is what one would call a Wildcard. the G-Man never really intended to use Gordon for anything specific, but rather Adrian Shepard. but because Gordon seemed to get out on top, no matter the odds, he took him into stasis, in case he could use his Talent once more. and in Half-Life 2, that is exactly what happened. everyone knew of Gordon Freeman, and what he did. he was a Symbol of hope long before he returned even, and the G-Man knew he could use this to his advantage to steer the course of history where he wanted it to go. but during it all, when the Vortigaunts found him and rescued him from the G-Man, they also severed the link between them that Gordon gained when he walked into the Green Portal after the Black Mesa Incident, thus rendering him unable to take Gordon back into stasis to use him further. that is why Alyx was taken instead, as she looked up to Gordon, and she learned a LOT both because of him and from him as well, and the G-Man could use this. whenever the G-Man gives you an offer, the one that you can accept to work for him ALWAYS creates a direct connection between them, which means that the G-Man can and will interfere and steer you where ever he pleases or needs.
Adrian Shepard is the one person we have yet to see anything of after the Black Mesa Incident, but i think he is going to play a MAJOR role in Half-Life 3 once it rolls out. either that, or he will be in a game of his own that leads into Half-Life 3, setting his role there in stone. or rather, setting it in Code haha!
the John McClane of science
I like to think that G-man will use adrian against Gordon if hl3 ever occurs, i mean both of them survived the black mesa incident and. Both survived against all odds. Though shepard was helped in many occasions by the G-MAN he still closed a portal from the X race ( with some kind of worm in it), so i think it could be an even fight, something like the V1 vs V2 in ultrakill, god it could be a good one
The moment Gordon said "it's Freemanning time" and Freemanned all over the Combine was the moment I knew I would become a lifelong Half-Life fan.
9:43 Somehow you delivered this line with the same seriousness of the Resonance Cascade.
im glad i was born in the right time to witness and experience the most iconic piece of historical gaming history
its so stupid but amazing that they made the microwave thing cannon and that the grudge was held for 20 years like i can just imagine the dude running through gunfire and electricity thinking “i was gonna eat the shit out of that”
Dr Freeman: Crowbars
Dr Kleiner: His pet headcrab
Dr Magnison: Casseroles
Dr Eli Vance: idk tbh
Barney: C a t s
The Bois
@@agentburningbutters3655 Eli Vance: The dad of the group
@@agentburningbutters3655 Eli Vance: synthetic leg
Gordon Freeman and Isaac Clarke has one thing in common
They are both unfortunate workers in incidents where their armor is iconic to people
The quality of your videos is just insane! So much love to the details…
Keep up the work, I hope one day, your videos will blow up, like they deserve :)
Oh maybe you could make a video about this whole „two separate timelines“ thing and share your own theory ^^
Thanks Caspar! This one took a lot to put together but I'm glad it came out the way it did - along with the changes I made to the format. New music, a different end screen, new pop-ups ect..
I'm actually planning on a timeline with both of the universes. We'll see how it goes though
I love the fact that the OPTIONAL microwave incident was, in fact, canon
I'm watching all of your portal and halflife videos and it's exactly what I need to revisit the lore as I replay P1/P2.
Thank you for the good work.
Great video, was looking forward to this in-depth lore review of Gordon from your channel for a while.
*while blasting combine troops across all of City 17*
"I can't believe I got a PhD for this shit. 'Oh Gordon. Please save us. You're the only one who fits in the hazard suit.' Really?! Couldn't make one in Barney's size?! CHRIST!"
And thus this rage feeds his killing spree.
Doom: man too angry to die
Half-Life: man too smart to die
My favorite quality of Gordon Freeman is that he’s, by all accounts, a nerd, a brainiac scientist, who probably hadn’t even held a gun once before the Resonance Cascade, yet, the moment Gordon picks up a gun, boom. Instant super soldier badass.
I like to imagine Gordon is just down right shredded because damn that was a gauntlet he went through he must be in shape
This makes replaying halflife a much different experience, we were not only traversing through Gordon's workplace, but also his home. Adds another layer of what Gordon was feeling running though the halls as everything blew up and his friends lay dead on the ground.
Excellent. As someone returning to obtaining the games and playing them for the first time in 20 years, it is truly wonderful to see how engaged everyone is. Your take on Gordan was eye opening. Thanks much and good luck.
8:32 because of the position of the chair and it’s color it makes gman look like he’s a bit… excited.
9:40 the way he said that like it was a spooky ghost story got me good
This was awesome! I've finished the HL games a million times over but there were still some things I've missed :D I enjoyed the video but that brought back the pain of knowing that we'll probably never see HL3 :(
The only cannon Freeman is the one from Freeman's Mind. Change my mind.
You could say, your Freeman's mind?
im sorry ill take my leave
Im more of a Gordon from HLVRAI kinda guy, but respect to the OG (freemans mind) as well
"People aren't debating about your canonicity, Freeman, you're just being paranoid!"
@@socialaccount0000 Dr Coomer is canon
"LAASEEER. Caution, LAASEEEER. Caution..."
What was the question?
"Doctor Freeeeeman.. I realize this may not be the most opportune moment for a heart to heart, but I had to wait until Skyrionn made a new lore video regarding your eh eh, employment."
9:40 "AND STOP F*CKING WITH THE MICROWAVE!"
As a scientist I can openly admit, Gordon Freeman is my role model
22:52 I don't know why Gordon walking while falling is so hilarious to me.
Ah dannnnnggg~
I haven't even watched yet, but Gordon himself, done in your style? I'm hyped.
I got Half-Life with my first PC, and I've been a fan ever since then. I love these deep dives on one specific thing at a time. Especially about portal because ah.. I've not had the time to dig deep into that myself lol.
Yeah - Gordon Freeman in the flesh.
I appreciate you watching them. There's so many more topics to cover too!
Unironically based how the main hero, and the big badass, is not some "chosen one" that is a walking mountain but a fucking scientist. Fuck yeah dude!
And he did all that without saying even 1 word throughout his entire existence.
Since G-Man needs a new pawn for his work, why not use Adrian Shepard?? He’s a highly-trained marine, and he’s sitting in stasis, waiting to fight. He’s just RIGHT there
Gordon Freeman is the best protagonist of all time imo
He’s literally just some guy
The right guy :)
@Skyrionn the right man
Certainly highly underrated.
@@Colin073 The free man
Thinking about it the G-Mans "threat" to teleport Gordon into an unwinnable fight just meant back to Black Mesa, he could have just killed or stranded Gordon or even just left him to die in the aftermath of the Nihlaths death. There was no real reason to just teleport him to a fight he couldn't win, he could have just have threatened to kill him or strand him where he was. During the intro to HL2 he told Gordon "all the effort in the world could not have made a difference" in the events on Earth during his absence, perhaps his threat actually just meant he would simply send him back to Earth where he could not have changed the outcome as it was unwinnable and accepting his offer simply meant returning him to a point in time he could change the outcome.
Your HL videos are some of my favorite RUclips content atm.
That's very kind of you to say ☺
i love how he just gets right in to the video no "hey guys today we are gonna be talking about half life 2!!!!" he just dive right in
That's a pet peeve of mine. I like to just dive in.
Yeah, the Hal Life Story-line is just one of the best, surprised there isn't a movie about it or 4
i feel in love with this series soooooo many years ago. What i never understood is why they never adapted this into a movie or a series. There is so much material there it just seems like it lends itself for that to happen. Hopefully one day
Skyrionn, i didnt watch this just yet but keep up the great work man. i love your half life content. youre my absolute favorite creator making these videos!!!
Thanks buddy! I appreciate the support. I hope you do enjoy it when you watch it
Skyrionn doesn't need to hear this, he's a highly trained proffessional.
@@Skyrionn yup, just finished it. visuals, choice of music. just fantastic. thank you for your work!
The fact that content like this can be made from this game is a testament to how amazing these games are.
Amazing video, I’ve not really heard much about his life prior to the resonance cascade. Such a chill video too, great work!
I have kill counted a vast majority of HL games and Gordon is certainly ranked high with the amount of enemies he has killed on his journey to survive!
This was fantastic! Really your work is amazing. The story of gordon and complete hl and hl2 fantastically told
Thanks a ton!
I think something worth noting about GF, something that occurred to me while replaying BM recently….Freeman possessed a nearly psychopathic character trait. I mean this seriously. His position at BM rested entirely on a willingness to experiment with tech that was potentially catastrophic if misused or abused, and once it was, he quickly and most effectively, began to kill without second thought or remorse. The scientific imperative switched from experimentation (ie dissecting small animals in your parents basement) to homicidal survival, which involved killing everyone and everything that got in his way. I think there’s an interesting case to be made that GF might very well have been the right Predator in the wrong place.
Well I mean all freeman did was push a grocery cart at Black Mesa. But he definitely did go on a killing spree immediately after
That's true, it's most likely why Gman saw his potential and made everything possible so that things would play out in a way that would benefit him and his employers as well as hire him for his services due to his latent talent. Although we can't forget Gordon seems to be really fond of his friends and co-workers at Black Mesa since he does save many and becomes a hero to many, it's obvious he's not a complete murderous killing machine. He's got a perfect balance.
That's a pretty interesting view of him
@@greengarnish1711 yeah exactly. There was something about HIM specifically that had a moral flexibility that allowed him to do what he did
@@Skyrionn it’s a little twisted I’m not gonna lie. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how homicidal our heroes really are. Every Jedi ever was an absolute killer. Indiana Jones. John Wick. These are all the good guys and they’re completely fine with what they do. Believe it or not, Michael Corleone is the one anti hero I can think of that was truly perturbed by him first kill. Even Walter White seemed to rebound pretty quickly and get rid of the body.
Thanks for all the effort you put into your channel, Skyrionn.
Thanks! There's more to come too!
My favorite fictional character. Only him and Chuck Norris can say so much, without saying anything at all 😁.
A very valid point
Great videos! There was a void of decent content on half life lore and you filled it very well! Thank you for this, keep it up!
Pretty informative and well compiled video of Gordon's feats! HL is such a masterpiece and I would truly hope Valve makes more games and faster too.
Question, would you cover the events of the amazing mods, Entropy: Zero 1 & 2 ?
I'd say they deserve the coverage and it wouldn't be too farfetched that EZ2 could almost feel like the HL2 EP3 we never had...
Lovely content. I know content like this takes a very long time, is a lot of effort and work, and is super grueling, but this was definitely worth the wait.
Thanks for the great content
Much appreciated! I does take a lot of time but its so worth it when complete!
“Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. Rise and shine…”
He should have stayed asleep
"Gordon doesn't need to hear all this he is a highly trained Professional!"
It's sad to be reminded of all the trauma this character went through while we were blinded by epic gameplay of a game with over 50 game of the year awards. He was nearly a victim of govournment silencing and was just a theoretical physicist who accidentally caused the resonance cascade back in 1998 or 200[year unknown].
One thing I never noticed until recently was that Gordon didn’t even hold a high security clearance. He was only level 3. That’s what I love about half life 1, they don’t tell you much at all about what’s happening around you. There’s so much mystery and ambience.
It's funny that it took so long to get to literally the main character. I guess that's just the unique nature of the protagonist that is gordon freeman
More impressively made lore videos, nice!
Thank ye! There's more to come ☺
I know this is late and you will likely miss it but thank you for your content. I love listening in and it really keeps my mind focused when I'm playing games.
can you make a lore video about the gravity gun or portal gun about their functions and stuff? thanks
If there's enough information to make a video, absolutely!
Aperture made the Gravity Gun according to the Portal Comics. guess Black Mesa does steal some scientific ideas and technologies from Cave Johnson
@@thediam0nddrag0n78 maybe that explains why one of the portal gun's feature is to pick up cubes just like the gravity gun
I replayed and finished Half Life 2 until Ep 2 yesterday, and I am really glad to find your channel because I just have so many questions. Subbed!!!
Its also strange to think how the events of decades take place over just a few days to Freeman. Everyone has been fighting for decades while Freeman was on the way to work just a few days ago expecting another normal work day. Has to be kind of jarring.
Not to mention that he freed earth from the combines grasp in Just a week and 2 days (since you first arrived at the train station all the way to Nova prospekt 2 days had just passed, and then when you get back at city 17 only a week has passed, and assuming Gordon while in stasis was unconscious, for him he entered the portal and then he woke up immediately to see that it has passed a freaking decade in just a couple of seconds for him. My lad must be having an internal breakdown after seeing the combine for the first time
@@Kelquirfreeman knows g-man, I wonder how much g-man messes with his head.
Amazing vid. I have been looking to know the full lore for quite sometime but none captured them as great as this did.
Glad you enjoyed!
Early gang?!?!
Siuuuu
Hi!
You called?
Galunga!
Early gang
It's funny that this is so deep. Seeing as, from my perspective, Gordon just spent 2 days escorting a purple hat across a war zone and into another universe.
Eeeey. It says that I'm the second view but I'm pretty sure that's not true!
Super early gang!
@@Skyrionn damn straight. I love your vids.
Skyrionn on his way to make lore on everything in existence in the Half Life universe.
Love the videos BTW
Thanks Crab Gaming! One video at a time. I'll cover everything!
I'm used to think of gordon not like a character but a template to throw yourselve into. But I've liked hearing this, after all he is an important character
the uality and content of this video is if i may say so, the best and highest one on this channel so far.
a lot of work was put in it and its visible.
i thank you for doing so
So many hours! But, when it was complete - it was worth it. Thanks for watching
@@Skyrionn ^-^
Great editing and storytelling, this made the video even better :D
I like that the exact amount of time we spend with him in all the games is exactly how its been perceived to him as well. So little time, so many year's
"it was a relief to see they had both survived black mesa" Gordons emotionless stare: