Gordon Freeman to Remain Mute

[Kollega]

Maybe he should talk Saint's Row 1 style. Like, a single line at the end of every major landmark in the story.

That's a clever way to do it (OMG Gordon speaks! Shit just got real!), but it wouldn't be that better than "arm-with-a-crowbar". Gordon's fine, really, if very overrated.

When asked for a comment, Gordon Freeman declined to answer.

I also bet Gabe thinks his current weight it "fine the way it is".

Hey Gabe, you know what else might be a 'fruitful avenue to explore'? Releasing the fucking game.

Am i missing something? What is that, international snark day? [small]Not that you aren't funny, but why so snarky anyway?[/small]

 

[Zenode]

Hey Gabe, you know what else might be a 'fruitful avenue to explore'? Releasing the fucking game.

Best
Line
EVER

I agree with most that just shoving a voice on him right now would seem wierd

 

[Captain Karma]

Being different is good, especially when it adds something special. Being (stubbornly) different for the sake of being different when it adds nothing is just kind of annoying.

Given their rate of churning out games though, who can keep up with it?! Am I right? Guys?

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE LIKE FUCKING MOVIES!

Plenty of games let you FEEL like the character in the story, even with speaking protagonists, and also in a linear game series like Half Life, you can really FEEL like you have an control, anyway.

Onyx, I have to say, the more voice acting gets involved in protagonists, the less I feel like I'm involved with the game.

Especially in first-person games. It throws me out of the game like a bouncer at a biker bar.

That is why I suggested a few lines, Saint's Row 1 style.

I'd hate Gordon "Blabbermouth" Freeman, too.

That'd yank me out of it, too.

 

[Aedwynn]

Why Gordon works so well is that he's a blank slate. People react as if he speaks because in-Universe he probably does. He just says whatever the player expects him to say in whatever situation - it doesn't change the storyline if you assume Gordon is a deadpan snarker or a run-of-the-mill gruff, manly action hero - he's whatever personality the player wants him to be. It's a great idea for not alienating the player from the protagonist with a potentially crappy voice-actor or off dialogue and also in a strange way makes you feel more connected with the guy, because you can put more of yourself into him.

Basically, I like Gordon just the way he is.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I am sorry to hear this...


Oh well, Gordon himself is a TERRIBLE character. No personality or anything...He is the worst kind of protagonist. A silent one who everyone in-game likes for no reason as though he used to talk to them and they developed a close friendship.

Good, if over-rated, games, horrible main character. When a headcrab named Lamarr has more personality then the hero, you've got a shitty hero.

Maybe he should talk Saint's Row 1 style. Like, a single line at the end of every major landmark in the story.

Also, if they did ever give him a voice, hire Nolan North.

... Every major character likes him because he saved all their lives. Therefor since he did something good, they imprint other "good" things upon him. But no one ever references anything he said.

Hes kinda like a dog with high powered weaponry that always shows up whenever shit is bad. He is their deus ex machina.

Thing is...even in the first game, BEFORE THE LIFE SAVING, people acted like he'd spoke to them before.

They acted like they worked with him. But there was never "hey remember that time you said something? el oh el"

True, but they gave the implication of some kind of relationship. And 99.9% of relationships involve speaking at some point.

 

[JEBWrench]

That is why I suggested a few lines, Saint's Row 1 style.

I'd hate Gordon "Blabbermouth" Freeman, too.

I think the difference for me is a matter of perspective. If the game is first person, hearing speech just reinforces the camera floating around. Third-person I'm okay with, since I can see the avatar, and the detachment is constant.

For first-person, even a line now and again becomes "What the... who said that? Oh. It was me."

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Also, if they did ever give him a voice, hire Nolan North.

Ugh, kill me now. If there's anything in the world Gordon doesn't need it's the "one voice to rule them all". As it stands Gordon is an empty character upon which the player can lump his/her own ego ideal (and one's own snappy one liners) and I think Gabe is on the right track here. Let the shoes be empty so the player can fill them.

On a side note, releasing trailer footage of HL:EP3 with Gordon re-imagined as a Marcus Phoenix bad-ass would be a great April Fool's stunt. For this year I mean, VALVe - it's never too late to give us a taste of EP3!! No? DAMMIT

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Also, if they did ever give him a voice, hire Nolan North.

Ugh, kill me now. If there's anything in the world Gordon doesn't need it's the "one voice to rule them all".
/quote]

That part was a joke.

 

[asiepshtain]

Has anyone thought that perhaps he is an autistic savant? He is really smart and dealing with insane physics and such as his old job. And generally autistic people do not have strong communication skills.

Or maybe he is a mute and has always just been doing sign language.

Or maybe he is just fine the way he is and people should leave him alone.

Holy headcrabs:! that is the reason why the're learning sign language! Gordon is a mute. Instead of having him speak at episode 3 he's gonna do sign language.

 

[Helios_(DEL)]

I am sorry to hear this...


Oh well, Gordon himself is a TERRIBLE character. No personality or anything...He is the worst kind of protagonist. A silent one who everyone in-game likes for no reason as though he used to talk to them and they developed a close friendship.

Good, if over-rated, games, horrible main character. When a headcrab named Lamarr has more personality then the hero, you've got a shitty hero.

Maybe he should talk Saint's Row 1 style. Like, a single line at the end of every major landmark in the story.

Also, if they did ever give him a voice, hire Nolan North.

if you havent noticed dude the series is based on what if moments, theyve left information and plot about the game out for the mystery effect an example would be who the G man is, what happened to sheppard and hmm the fact that gorden doesnt speak they made it so it makes you think.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I've got no issue with Gordon Freeman, but I HATE silent protagonists. They aren't characters, they're just avatars. Gordon only works because of Half-Life's method of storytelling, they allow you, the gamer, to form connections with the characters instead of implying them, hence emotional impact related to certain characters still works.

For an example of where this doesn't work, see Isaac Clarke (Dead Space) a Silent Protagonist with a "backstory" for which we have no empathy because he never speaks.

 

[Treblaine]

I wonder if half the people who ***** about Freeman's "lack of character" really understand gaming at all. it seems they all just want a movie experience with some barely related gameplay in between, no, fuck no, they did that and it's called MGS4 and it sucked hairy balls.

Why are people so hard-headedly drawn to centuries old film and literature conventions when they DO NOT APPLY HERE!

Give Freeman a personality and you will be kicked right out of the Half Life universe.

You know what is REALLY LAZY! Just having the camera switch to a third person perspective and have the characters drone on with banal banter in the name of exposition. You may see "your character" speak but do you feel that you actually are them in a true role-playing sense.

That's why I say Legend of Zelda is a more pure RPG than Final Fantasy as Link is a character that you truly can role-play, the ONLY definitive things that Link says at all are Yes or No and you have complete control over that.

You know what is HARD, telling a deep and complex story ENTIRELY through a single unbroken perspective, with no cuts and the camera ENTIRELY controlled by the player. THAT is hard and when it is done well it has a more potent and effective effect than some of the best feature films or books.

So Bull-Fucking-shit to all you who just say Valve are being lazy, you just don't know what the hell you are talking about.

Stop your whining or some publisher will be dumb enough to think the punters know what is best and start demanding that all their developers have "hollywood style" protagonists *PUKE*

also...

NEWS FLASH: Games take a long time to make! And I'm not talking the engine, making good level design is REALLY hard. Yeah Ep 3 has taken a long time... but look what happened when they rushed HL2: Ep 1... wasn't all that good.

 

[SomeBoredGuy]

I am sorry to hear this...


Oh well, Gordon himself is a TERRIBLE character. No personality or anything...He is the worst kind of protagonist. A silent one who everyone in-game likes for no reason as though he used to talk to them and they developed a close friendship.

Good games, horrible main character. When a headcrab named Lamarr has more personality then the hero, you've got a shitty hero.

Maybe he should talk Saint's Row 1 style. Like, a single line at the end of every major landmark in the story.

<mega-snip>

I agree with your point, but please refrain from huge images and capital letters combined with five exclamation marks. Please?

I also bet Gabe thinks his current weight it "fine the way it is".

I couldn't care less if Freeman spoke or not.

That's it, he called Gabe Newell fat. Put 'em up.

*raises fists*

 

[Jared]

I think keeping him mute is not a bad idea. We are used to seeing him as he is, and to mess the formula up now might feel a little...odd. Well, to me anyway. Im happuy to keep him as is