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Image of Gordon Freeman from Half Life. Researcher at Black Mesa. Walkthrough of 2D Half-Life

“You are not playing for Freeman, you are Gordon Freeman!”

Gabe Newell

Name Gordon Freeman

Occupation physicist, resistance fighter

Universe Half-Life

Starred 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 what am I... You probably already know each other, don’t you? Well, of course, of course, Dr. Gordon, although he did not receive a Nobel Prize, is better known 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 to players, but even to his fellow players. Perhaps only the no less mysterious G-man knows everything about Freeman, and even the Valve scriptwriters, to whom we owe the birth of our hero. Despite the wild popularity of the Half-Life series, Valve employees are very reluctant to share any information regarding the main actor games. Players have to literally collect information about their idol bit by bit.

Let's see what we, ordinary people, managed to find out about the hero of the Resistance, Doctor of Science, finally, just good person with a mount - Gordon Freeman.

Biography of the hero

Freeman was born in Seattle, Washington. Nothing is known about his family. The parents were able to give their son a decent education, not ignoring his interest in quantum physics, which arose in childhood. A young, promising student, whose idols were Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Richard Feynman, graduates from the University of Innsbruck in the mid-nineties. It was there, observing 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, his dream eventually came true, but if Freeman had known, How it will come true...

You can make a monument to Gordon...

This is interesting: Initially, the Half-Life developers wanted to name the main character 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 Doctor of Science degree 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" (in Russian can be roughly translated as "Observation of the EPR paradox (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen entanglement) on superquantum structures by inducing an ultra-long-wave (VLW) pulse from a locked source array through a nonlinear transuranium crystal").

Poor funding and the slow pace of research carried out in Innsbruck force the newly minted doctor of sciences 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. Of course, he was invited by Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Gordon’s longtime mentor and teacher, who had known him since Freeman’s days at MIT. Complex and top-secret research in the field of teleportation, sponsored by the government, was ahead. 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 takes a position as a research assistant at the Anomalous Materials Laboratory, focusing on nuclear physics and subatomic research. The scientist is given a personal card with the third level of access, but since Freeman’s work will involve a risk to his life, he has to undergo training in working with a protective HEV suit ( H azardous E n V ironment). While studying, suspicions arise that the research is sponsored and controlled by the military - why else would a test for accuracy with automatic weapons and an under-barrel grenade launcher appear in the training course? Let me remind you that the guards are armed only with pistols and shotguns.

This is interesting: Each employee of the research complex (from a simple security guard to a project manager) must have a personal identification card with him at any time. You simply cannot 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. Let's remember 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... You still doubt that Black Mesa, among other things, was developing 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 scientist’s relatives at that time - he does not have a wife or children, but he has Good friends: Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Eli Vance and security guard Barney Colquhoun, whom Freeman met before the events of Half-Life.

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

Letter to Freeman inviting him to work at Black Mesa.

This is interesting: Gordon, apparently, was not averse to fooling around sometimes. Alix in Half-Life 2: Episode One says that Dr. Kleiner once mentioned to her that Freeman and Colhoun were organizing a kind of competition - who would 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 to climb them. Dr. Kleiner was talking about how he lost the keys to his office, and you and Barney competed to see who could get inside the fastest.”

At one point, Freeman's measured life goes upside down. An important experiment ends in disaster, hordes of aliens from another dimension break into Black Mesa, and the military arrives at the scene of the accident with orders to carry out a “cleanup.” The 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, which controlled the alien invasion of Earth, Gordon will accept the G-man's offer to work and will go on a well-deserved rest. Ten years later, G-man will take Freeman out of the stasis in which he has been all this time and remind him of the signed contract...

I think there is no point in talking in detail about the events of the Half-Life series games, which probably everyone has played. What, you didn't play? How is it possible!

Mystery man

Thin, with a fashionable beard, wearing glasses, who devoted himself entirely to his favorite work, Freeman is, at first glance, a typical example of a scientist, as we are used to seeing them in films and books. Gordon’s not-at-all-superhero appearance slightly surprised the players: either faceless, big Marines (Quake, Doom) or parodies of them ( Duke Nukem). All the more surprising was the contrast when this “bookworm” took up arms and began his long and dangerous trek through Black Mesa.

Speaking of appearance. In not a single game from the Half-Life series do we see Gordon from the outside. But nevertheless, they recognize him easily - a portrait of a scientist in a special suit was displayed on the loading screen and on the game box, so the image of the “bespectacled man with a crowbar” is firmly ingrained in the memory of the players.

You can still see Gordon - a special model was created for the network mode, which was not present in the game itself. Players will meet Freeman a couple of times in the 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: subject attempted to create a time paradox." And in the second expansion, just starting the game, we see Gordon twice without his famous HEV suit. Finally, at the very end of Blue Shift, main character Barney Colquhoun sees 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 for G-man or refuses such a tempting offer.

It is unknown why, but Gordon Freeman is silent. Always. The players were surprised, but did not complain too much. Special kudos to Valve for making Gordon's muteness not look unnatural. Well, people don’t like to talk a lot, what can you do? According to Gabe Newell, Freeman's silence is explained by the fact that the creators of the game wanted to achieve a better identification of the player with the main character. For the same purpose, we watch the entire game “from the eyes” of Gordon and, as mentioned above, we never see him from the outside. I must say, the guys from Valve did not miss a beat - the effect of presence is at its best.

The silent determination with which Freeman deals with numerous enemies is no less surprising. Aside from a preparatory course on how to use the HEV suit, Gordon had only ever picked up a gun once in his life—a “gun,” a tennis ball gun, he had built himself at the age of six. But - since circumstances force it, there is nowhere to go, even if you are a doctor of science at least three times, you cannot do without violence in such cases.

If in the first game Freeman is a “reluctant hero”, going to the world of Zen only because he essentially has no other choice, then in Half-Life 2 Gordon is already a real hero. Not even that - Hero. Both ordinary residents of City 17 and enemy soldiers know him by sight; 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, does not fully understand what role he plays in the confrontation between the Alliance and his employer, G-man. The latter prefers not to explain the orders given to Gordon, and he is not particularly interested in what and how There have long been rumors among Half-Life fans that G-man and Freeman are the same person. These rumors are 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 the G-man (thanks to the game’s scriptwriters), so players can only guess whether Gordon will actually exchange the crowbar for a briefcase, and the HEV for a business suit.

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

This is interesting: the famous crowbar and special HEV suit became symbols of the game. We can no longer imagine Freeman without his favorite crowbar and orange spacesuit. In polls like “What is your favorite weapon in Half-Life?”, conducted on fan sites, the mount firmly holds the leading position, sometimes second only to the gravity gun.

Gordon's relationships with the opposite sex have long excited 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, one of the main characters of the second part becomes Alix Vance, the daughter of Eli Vance, a very little girl during the events of the first game. Now she is a young beautiful woman who can, if necessary, stand up for herself with a weapon in her hands. In Episode One, Alix is with Freeman throughout the game, and, apparently, she is far from indifferent to our hero. One can only guess about Freeman's attitude towards Alix - without breaking the traditions of the series, he does not utter a word throughout the entire game.

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

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 has hit the shelves, and Dr. Gordon needs to hurry. 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's best to buy the disc and find out the answers yourself. So now, having written these lines, I’ll launch the game, pick up my favorite mount and show the headcrabs where the crayfish spend the winter!

The inhabitants inhabiting it.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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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 will tell you about the success of my University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMB) campus in teaching students various 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 achieve great heights in the scientific community - from black students, they are outnumbered in certain sciences. What makes this story unique is that we have learned to help African American, Latino, and low-income students become leaders in the sciences and engineering. I will start my story with a story from my childhood. We are all products of our childhood. It’s hard to imagine that 50 years have passed since I was a ninth grader in Birmingham, Alabama, loving getting A’s, loving math, reading, loving telling the teacher who asked us ten problems: “Give us ten more.” . And the whole class shouted: “Freeman, shut up.” Every day, I was kicked. I constantly wondered: “How can I instill a love of learning in these children?” One day, in church, when I again did not want to be there at all, 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 the difference between good and bad and these children really want to get 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 be a part of it. They answered: “Categorically, no!” (Laughter) It was a difficult situation. To be honest, at that time it was not customary to contradict parents. But, I still said: “You are hypocrites! You took me with you. They made me listen to everything. He says let’s go, but you say no!” They thought all night and in the morning, without sleeping all night, praying, crying and reasoning, they came to my room. Asking yourself the question: “Will we allow our 12-year-old son to participate in this demonstration and go to prison?” They decided to let me go to the demonstration. When I was told this, initially, I was elated, but when I thought about dogs and water hoses, I was very scared. I often tell people this, that if you do a brave thing, it doesn't mean that you are a daredevil, but it means that you believe that it is important. I wanted a good education. I didn't want to read anyone's used books. I wanted to know that my school not only had good teachers, but also adequate resources for learning. I remember in the middle of the week while I was in prison, Dr. King came with our parents and said, “What you do today will change the lives of children who weren’t even born yet.” Two-thirds of Americans today weren't even born in 1963. When they hear about the children's march 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 did we learn from this? The most important thing to me is this: children can be encouraged to feel in control of their own education. They can be taught to have a passion for learning and 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 prison with Dr. King, 1963. The founding of this institution is very important because Maryland is, as you know, South, the first university in our state, was founded at a time when students of all races could attend. We had black, white, and other students of other races. For 50 years, it was an experiment. The essence of the experiment: can there be educational institutions in our country where people of different backgrounds will gather and study, work together and support each other eventually becoming leaders? This experience is important to 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 trained many from lawyers to humanities scholars. We have trained great artists. Beckett is our muse. Many of our students perform in the theater. This is great work. The problem that we and all of America face is that students are not succeeding in STEM, black students are not succeeding. After looking at the statistics, we realized that students in general, in large numbers, are not doing well. As a result, first of all, we decided to help students in the most deplorable situation, African- and Latin-Americans. Philanthropists Robert and Jane Myrhoff said, "We want to help." Robert Mayrhoff said, “Why is everything on TV about black boys other than basketball negative? I want to change this somehow, I want to take a positive step.” We combined these ideas and created the Mayrhoff Fellowship. This program is significant because of several important discoveries. And the bottom line is this: How is it that, in this country, we train a large proportion of African-Americans in the field of science and engineering, as well as doctors of medicine? It is very important! Your applause. It is very important. It is very important. Is it true. (Applause) What many people don't realize is that it's not just minorities that don't do well in science and engineering. Americans are not doing well. Only 20% of African-American and Latino students enrolling in science and engineering majors will graduate in these fields. And only 32% of whites and 42% of Asian Americans will receive their degrees. The obvious question is “What is 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 lot of pre-credited coursework at the most prestigious institutions enroll in engineering and medical schools, but end up changing directions. This happens because they have bad grades in their first year. In America, we call first-year science and engineering classes qualifying or blocking classes. How many of you in this audience know anyone who started studying to become an engineer or a doctor, but changed their major after the first or second year? This is an American problem. That's half of that audience. Yes, I know. And yet it is interesting that we have many 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 be sensitive to the academic preparation of students, their grades, the intensity of the educational program, the ability to pass exams, their mood, the 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. Smart means you are willing to learn. You are excited about learning and want to ask questions. Isidore Isaac Rabi, a Nobel Prize winner, 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 asked: “Izzy, did you ask good questions today?” There is great hope in curiosity and in encouraging young people to be curious. As a result of these high hopes, we sought out students we wanted to work with and figured out how we could help them not only survive studying to become an engineer or scientist, but also how to reach their potential and succeed overall. For example, one young man received a C and was going to continue to enter medical school. We said, “You need to retake this course before moving on to the next level. You need good basic knowledge." Each stage forms the foundation for the next. He retook the course. He graduated from UMBC and is the first African-American with an M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Now he works at Harvard. Very good story. Give him a round of applause. (Applause) Secondly, grades are not the most important thing. Exam scores are important, but they are not the most important thing. One girl had good grades, but did poorly on her exams. But she had a very important feature. She never missed a day of school. She had a fire in her heart! She is now a Doctor of Medicine and Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. She is now a tenure-track professor with a PhD in neurology. She and her boss have a patent on an alternative use for Viagra for diabetics. Your applause for her. (Applause) High expectations are very important. And also, creating a student environment. We tend to think of the learning environment in science and engineering as cut-throat. 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. Thirdly, the principle that scientists are needed to raise scientists. We need artists to teach artists, sociologists for sociology students. It’s the same with any other discipline, and most of all in engineering and science. Scientists are needed to engage students in science. Our students constantly work 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 after a few days 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 work. They knew they were researching AIDS. They worked on designing the protein. Each of them was absorbed in their work. He said: “Nothing could be better!” Finally, if you have a student body, high expectations, and scholars to train scholars, you will need professors 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 with me and he is not passionate about his studies. 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 engaged and who was not, asking the question: “How can I connect with him and get my staff to help?” Everything is interconnected. This young man is now a doctor of medicine and philosophy, in neuroengineering, at Duke University. Give him a round of applause! (Applause) We've developed a model that allows us to evaluate what works and what doesn't, but also shows us that we need to update our program. We rescheduled chemistry and physics. We also want to rework humanities and social sciences because so many students are bored in class. Did you know this? Many schoolchildren and students do not want to just sit and listen to the lecturer. They need to be involved. There is a link to the Chemistry Research Center on our web page. People from all over the country attend to see how we have redesigned courses with an emphasis on interaction and application of technology, using examples from the biotech companies on our campus. We do not feed our students theories, but rather allow them to solve these problems themselves. Due to the success at 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 this can be corrected by creating student communities and learning environments, and telling young girls, minorities and regular students: “You can be a successful student!” It is important to give them the opportunity to create this environment, with the support of professors who engage them in their work, and to continually re-evaluate what is working and what is not. A student's self-esteem is very important. It's incredible how dreams and values can radically change the course of a business. When I was in Birmingham prison at age 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, are successful and someday they will change this world. Aristotle said: “Superiority is never given by chance. 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 chills. He said, “Choice, not chance, determines our destiny.” Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. Dreams and values. Thank you very much. (Applause)

Character biography

Freeman received a position as a research assistant in the laboratory of anomalous materials with level 3 access. For living, the scientist was provided with an apartment in the research center dormitory. Before the hero began his duties, he underwent training 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. IN Half-Life 2: Episode One Alix Vance, commenting on Gordon's ability to quickly move through ventilation shafts, retells the story that Dr. Kleiner told her. Freeman and his friend, security guard Barney, competed to see who could get inside the office of an absent-minded professor the fastest after he lost the key to the door to his office.

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

Name and appearance

According to Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, non-fiction book Valve about the creation of this game universe, the hero-scientist was initially nameless. Game writer Mark Laidlaw intended for the hero to be named "Dyson Poincaré" in honor of Freeman Dyson and Henri Poincaré; the name "Gordon Freeman" was created by Gabe Newell.

Gordon Freeman's appearance changes slightly from game to game. The main features that remain unchanged are a thin build, combed-back brown hair, a goatee, square glasses and green eyes. An early model of Gordon Freeman, who had a large build, a thick long beard and mustache, bore the comic name “Ivan the Space Biker”.

Half-Life

On the original cover of the game, Freeman is depicted as a thin man with large black-framed glasses, bright brown hair, a matching beard, and a ponytail. Dressed in H.E.V. without a helmet. In the game's multiplayer mode, as well as in the third-person mode (which can be activated using the console), there is a model of the main character that fairly accurately recreates this appearance, with the exception of the absence of glasses.

Half-Life: Blue Shift

At the beginning of the game, Freeman's security officer and friend Barney Calhoun sees him passing him in a carriage of the Black Mesa transportation system. This happens before Freeman puts on the H.E.V., so he's wearing one too. white robe with a tie and badge on his chest, like all scientists of the complex. Later, at the very end of the addon, Calhoun, who accidentally teleported into the utility room through the ventilation grill, sees the unconscious Freeman being dragged along the corridor by two soldiers (in the original Half-Life this episode is located in the middle of the game).

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Gordon and Alix come to their senses at the foot of a dilapidated Alliance base. Having established 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 Alix, under the leadership of Eli Vance, return to the Citadel in order to stabilize the reactor core and stop the slow thermonuclear reaction that has begun. Along the way, the heroes manage to find out that Alliance scientists have abandoned attempts to stabilize the core, since after Freeman destroyed the portal, all external teleports and communication systems of the Alliance on Earth were turned off without hope of a quick recovery. Destabilizing the Citadel's reactor became the only way for the harvesters to get enough energy to send some extremely important message to their world. Alix manages to obtain 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 transport the rebels and escaping 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 blast wave...

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

After Gordon and Alix board the train and have practically left City 17, the Citadel annihilates, forming a huge interdimensional funnel - a super portal through which the super-powerful Alliance army, many times superior to the rebel forces, is preparing to pass through to reinforce the earthly contingent, many times superior to the rebel forces, both numerically and technologically. Alix has a flash memory with her, which contains very important information, containing the Alliance command plans, as well as the superportal frequency code. Gordon and Alix need to get to White Grove, the main base of the Resistance. On the way to the White Grove, Gordon manages to lose Alix due to an attack by Combine synthetic hunters, and then save her with the help of a healing extract of antlions. Vortigaunts help him in this. Later, he talks to the G-Man who overtook him and learns some strange things about Alix. Next, they need to overcome the forests and the Alliance units located in them, deliver information and protect the White Grove. After Gordon has reached his target and the Rebels have repelled all attacks by elite Alliance troops on White Grove, the Resistance launches a satellite broadcasting a signal opposite to that of the superportal, thereby closing it. After this, Freeman and Alix need to go north - in search of the laboratory ship "Borey", which can become both a new hope for free humanity and a trump card for the Alliance, allowing it to take revenge and restore its power on Earth. At the very end of Episode Two, the Advisors 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. was developed not only for protection from hazardous 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. vests that HECU soldiers are equipped with (particularly in Opposing Force), designed similar to H.E.V. technology (this is proven by the fact that H.E.V. chargers can be used to recharge P.C.V.). Additionally, the suit's ability to protect the wearer from bullet wounds and the explosions of grenades or rockets fired from a grenade launcher seems a bit excessive for a suit designed to protect scientists during dangerous experiments, in 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 title 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 researched. The Lambda symbol is also present in Half-Life 2, as a symbol of the Resistance, in memory of the events at Black Mesa.

References to Gordon Freeman in popular culture

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

He has a Doctor of Philosophy degree (the Western equivalent of a Candidate of Sciences) in theoretical physics, awarded to him (MIT). Working as a theoretical physicist at the Black Mesa Research Center, he participated in an experiment on anomalous materials. anomalous 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 an invasion of Earth by its inhabitants.

Character biography

While taking part in academic research at the University of Innsbruck, Gordon was frustrated by its slow pace of development and insufficient funding. Captivated by his dream, the scientist looks for work outside educational institutions, and luck smiles on him. Freeman's former mentor at MIT, Dr. Isaac Kleiner, took on a secret project at the Black Mesa Research Center and was looking for talented assistants. Given the sources and size of funding, Freeman suspected that the center was developing new weapons. But, despite the fears, the scientist accepted the job offer, hoping that peaceful applications for the technology would also be found.

Appearance

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

Half-Life

On the original cover of the game, Freeman is depicted as a thin man with large black-framed glasses, bright brown hair, a matching beard, and a ponytail. Dressed in H.E.V. without a helmet. In the multiplayer mode of the game, there is a model of the main character, which fairly accurately recreates this appearance, with the exception of the absence of glasses and the presence of a ponytail.

Half-Life: Blue Shift

At the beginning of the game, Freeman's security officer and friend, Barney Calhoun, sees him passing him in a carriage of the Black Mesa transportation system. This occurs before Freeman dons the H.E.V., so he is wearing the same white coat with tie and chest badge as all the scientists in the complex. Later, at the very end of the addon, Calhoun, who accidentally teleported into the utility room through the ventilation grill, sees the unconscious Freeman being dragged along the corridor by two soldiers (in the original Half-Life this episode is located in the middle of the game).

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Gordon and Alix come to their senses at the foot of the dilapidated Alliance base. Having established 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 Alix, under the leadership of Eli Vance, return to the Citadel to stop the reactor core and stop the slow thermonuclear reaction that has begun. Along the way, the heroes manage to find out that Alliance scientists have stopped trying to stabilize the core, since after Freeman destroyed the portal, all external teleports and communication systems of the Alliance on Earth were turned off without hope of a quick recovery. Breaking the stability of the Citadel reactor became the only way for the Alliance members to obtain enough energy to send an unknown message to their world. Alix manages to obtain a copy of the message, and she and Gordon leave the collapsing base. After a long journey through the ruined city, they meet Barney Calhoun and help him ferry 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 Alix board the train and have practically left City 17, the Citadel is annihilated, forming a huge interspatial funnel - a super portal through which the super-powerful Alliance army, many times superior to the rebel forces, both numerically and technologically. Alix has a flash memory with her, which contains very important information containing the plans of the Alliance command, as well as the superportal frequency code. Gordon and Alix need to get to White Grove, the main base of the Resistance. On the way to the White Grove, Gordon manages to lose Alix due to an attack by Combine synthetic hunters and save her with the help of a medicinal extract of antlions. Vortigaunts help him in this. Later, he talks to the G-Man who overtook him and learns some strange things about Alix. Next, they need to overcome the forests and the Alliance units located in them, deliver information and protect the White Grove. After Gordon has reached his target and the Rebels have repelled all attacks by elite Alliance troops on White Grove, the Resistance launches a satellite broadcasting a signal opposite to that of the superportal, and it begins to dissolve. After this, Freeman and Alix need to go north in search of the laboratory ship "Borey", which can become both a new hope for free humanity and a trump card for the Alliance, allowing it to take revenge and restore its power on Earth. At the very end of Episode Two, the Advisors 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. was developed not only for protection from hazardous 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 body armor that the HECU soldiers are equipped with Opposing Force, designed similar to H.E.V. technology (this is proven by the fact that “H.E.V.” chargers can be used to recharge P.C.V.). Additionally, the suit's ability to protect the wearer from bullet wounds and the explosions of grenades or rockets fired from a grenade launcher seems a bit excessive for a suit designed to protect scientists during dangerous experiments, in 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 a Greek letter, Lambda. This symbol is used by scientists to represent the constant decay of radioactive elements (akin to the element's half-life). half-life)). In addition to Gordon's costume, the symbol appears in the title 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 experiments are carried out. The Lambda symbol is also present in Half-Life 2, as a symbol of the Resistance, in memory of the events at Black Mesa.

References to Gordon Freeman in popular culture

IN Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory One character tells Sam Fisher that "the crowbar is only for educated computer heroes", joking about the fact that Gordon Freeman is a scientist by profession.
IN Call of Duty: United Offensive At the beginning of the first mission, two soldiers can be seen running. The first name is Corporal Gordon, the second is Corporal Freeman.
At the Stark Towers level in the game The Punisher, one scientist addresses another by the name of "Dr. Freeman" and asks what sound he just heard, to which Dr. Freeman replies: "Perhaps the physics department has opened an interdimensional portal... ooh, space aliens!" This is the link to the first level from Half-Life.
IN The Ship, a game created on the engine Half-Life 2, the description for the mount states that it is suitable for any “free man” (a play on words - literally “free man”, but also forms the word “Freeman”).
IN TimeSplitters Future Perfect in the level "Breaking and Entering", Cortez changes into a lab coat with a card that says "Dr. Freeman."
In the novel A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by Christopher Brookmyre, the author makes frequent references to various games: One of the characters is called "Dr. Freeman" and the SAS soldier is called "Shepard".
IN Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas inside secret military base"Area 69" in the desert you can find a crowbar lying on a table in one of the laboratories.
The main character of the Internet comics "Citizen: The Half-Life and Death of Gordon Froman", parodying the plot Half-Life 2, Gordon Froman, unlike Gordon Freeman, expresses his admiration for the Alliance's policies and looks like a bumbling and naive loser.
In Game Sacred you can find a grave, when opened, the inscription “ Gordon Freeman, killed by a tire iron, rests here»
In Game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl in the quest “Find the hunter’s family gun,” the corpse of a novice stalker is lying not far from the gun. His name is Freeman, and he's wearing glasses in the photo. The description states: “Scientist, expert on anomalous phenomena. He worked in America on secret projects. Recently he was considered missing.” Carrying a pistol Desert Eagle. At the same time, a journal entry appears in the found PDA of Gordon Freeman, where part of his diary is located, 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.
IN Halo 3, if you go into the multiplayer level Sandtrap and go to one of the middle structures, you will find a crowbar, the same one that Gordon Freeman had in the game series Half-Life (Sandtraps- this is also the title of the chapter in Half-Life 2).
In a tabletop role-playing game Fallout PnP the “Random Encounters” section describes the scenario Half-Life reads as follows: “In the New Mexico area, you might come across a lone man dressed in an orange hazmat suit muttering something about a man with a briefcase. If you kill him, you can find on him: a crowbar, a Colt .45, a Glock 17, a combat shotgun, a rocket launcher, plastic explosives, a Gauss rifle and special weapon- ion emitter!
The Yekaterinburg group “Sansara” dedicated a song of the same name to Gordon Freeman, album “YU LA” (2007)
In one of the episodes of the game Penumbra:Overture, the main character encounters a body frozen under the ice, whose hand, clutching a pry bar, sticks out on the surface. The inventory description states that the name "Freeman" is engraved on the handle.
In the book “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Choice of Weapons” by Andrei Levitsky there is an episode:

Walking past the trolley, my gaze slid over the body. The man was wearing large glasses with black frames. He had short-cropped wavy brown hair, a goatee and a mustache, and was wearing overalls with a circle of light-colored fabric on the chest, where what looked like an upside-down letter “U” was embroidered. The rat wolf lying next to him bit his neck, but he himself died: the stranger crushed his head with a crowbar that was lying right there. I immediately liked this crowbar - thin, curved at the end, forked, like the tongue of a snake, so that I could pull out nails and unbend rods.

After this, the hero of the book carries this crowbar with him until the end.
The website Machinima.com created the series “Freeman’s Mind”, which is essentially a video magazine Half-Life walkthroughs, in which a voiceover voices the thoughts of the protagonist that arise in his mind while wandering through an underground complex.
In the game "Metro 2033" at the level "Battle on Railcars", if you go straight to the door and open it, in a collapsed room on the floor you can see a skeleton, and next to it there is a crowbar and glasses, like Freeman (double easter egg, since the game is mainly was developed by people from GSC Game World, developers of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series).
In addition to 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!" while picking up a crowbar.
In the game "Dead Island" you can make a weapon mod "Gordon's Revenge". It consists of modifying the crowbar, significantly enhancing its characteristics.

Players first met Freeman in the first part of the Half-Life game developed by Valve; it was Freeman that they had to play for. As the studio developers say, at first the main character didn’t 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, director of Valve, suggested calling the hero Gordon Freeman, with whom he went down in history.

The image of the main character is one of the most famous games Quite memorable: he is thin, with brown hair and a beard, and his green eyes are hidden behind the lenses of black-framed 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 in the name of the game the letter “a” 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 an early age he was attracted to physics, in particular quantum mechanics. While still at university, Freeman became interested in teleportation experiments, which he subsequently 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 completely made him despondent. After spending some time searching, Freeman finally got lucky - his former mentor Isaac Kleiner invited him to his own secret project, which a group of scientists was engaged in at the Black Mesa Research Center.

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

It was the most ordinary day in the laboratory: Freeman and two researchers at the center were conducting another experiment on teleportation, however, during the experiment there was a malfunction and an explosion, as a result of which aliens from a parallel world were teleported to the territory of Black Mesa. From now on, Freeman and his employees are in mortal danger, because they are being hunted not only by aliens, but also by military personnel from the HECU special forces, who were ordered to maintain the secrecy of what happened - to destroy all aliens and witnesses of the disaster who survived, and also to completely close and destroy Black Mesa.

Freeman had to long haul, overcoming which, he reached 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.

The first Half-Life, released in 1998, has had many official add-ons (and just a huge number of fan mods) released, in which Freeman does not always appear as the main character. However, the player sees him from the outside in some game moments.

Players received the second part of the series after 7 for 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 City 17, several years after the events of the first part. Freeman's old mentor and colleague, Dr. Isaac Kleiner, reappeared here. 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 to save Freeman himself and his companion Alex from imminent death.

A real two-dimensional Half-Life with heroes, levels and weapons from the real second version Half Life 2. Starring Gordon Freeman and his famous crowbar. And also the guard Barney, the girl Alix, the gravity gun, buggy racing, the battle with the Strider boss and even the final conversation with the famous G-Man.

Half Life 2D: Codename gordon could be downloaded for free on Steam as a teaser for the second “Halva”. But then, due to the bankruptcy of the developers, this game was removed from Steam, and all the old archives were quickly lost. But we are returning your lost masterpiece! Meet two-dimensional Half-Life right in your browser, online.

Dear friends. The game weighs 40 megabytes, so it can take a long time to load. Please wait a little. In the meantime, you can read his story.

If the game slows down full screen– it’s better to play on this page, in the native resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. But in theory modern computers should be able to easily pull this toy across the entire page.

Once loaded, you can go to the Options menu and change the controls, as well as the sound and graphics settings. Although the basic controls are the same as in the real Half Life:

Move – A, D
Jump – S
Attack and aim - mouse
Use first aid kits – E
Flashlight – F
Recharge – R
Throw grenade – Q

All keys are given in the English layout. Doors are opened with the up key (W by default).

Pixel Half Life 2

The game was created under the impression of teasers and announcements of the second Half Life. Valve officially approved this project, took it under its wing and released it on Steam as a fun free game- an interactive teaser for the second part of his famous project. Therefore, on numerous levels of two-dimensional “Half-Life” you can see:

Headcrabs and zombies with crabs;
Combine soldiers with branded masks and machine guns;
Barney's security guard;
The girl Alix and her father Eli Vance;
Buggy;
Helicopters;
Gravity gun;
Strider;
G-Man

All this is in pixel graphics, but is easily recognizable at first glance. The gravity gun, like in the real Half Life 2, can grab barrels and other objects and throw them. This is how you complete some levels with puzzles.

Moreover, the plot also repeats in places big game- but, however, it diverges more and more towards the end.

Walkthrough of 2D Half-Life

The main character, Gordon Freeman, finds himself in abandoned docks. He immediately picks up the crowbar and engages in battle with the zombies and their nasty little masters, the headcrabs. You have to be careful here, because after killing a zombie, its headcrab continues to attack.

Barney gives a gun

At the docks, Gordon Freeman finds guard Barney Calhoun wounded. He says that something terrible happened and gives Gordon a gun. In fact, for some time it is more convenient to go with a crowbar, because the cartridges quickly run out.

Alix Vance and the gravity gun

After the docks, on the second level, in the harbor - Gordon meets Alix and her father Eli Vance. They advise him to take a buggy. But the buggy is still far away, but for now you have to find the gravity gun and use it to solve puzzles (destroy the electric generators to turn off the force field).

Combine and killer helicopters

Combine soldiers appear on the second level. They shoot from machine guns, it is not lethal. But some of them throw grenades, and this is much more dangerous.

There are also dark levels where you need to use a flashlight (F key), and flying saw helicopters. An encounter with such saws will remove some health. But their trajectories are easy to guess - they move like platforms in straight lines, unlike their relatives in 3D HalfLife 2.

Buggy racing

As in the original game, the two-dimensional Half Life features buggy racing, or rather high-speed driving, during which you must avoid attacks from large helicopters and other troubles. Of course, this is no substitute for real racing. In 2D games with a side view, such entertainment is more like roller coaster, where you just need to accelerate or apply the brakes in time to avoid a collision.

City City 17

After racing in a buggy, Gordon reaches City 17. It is already half destroyed, traces of battle are visible everywhere. You can also see the fence of the Citadel.

At these levels the pixel graphics are especially good and resemble best games from consoles of the past - Metal Slug or Aladdin (whichever is closer).

Conversation with the G-Man

Also in the two-dimensional Half Life, a mysterious man in a suit and with a suitcase traditionally appears - G-Man. He says to the hero:

No, I'm not your boss. Your boss is waiting for you ahead. Destroy it and you will find out who is to blame for all these events. But if you screw up, don't come crying to me. There are forums for this.

In this joke conversation, the G-Man simply announces an upcoming boss fight.

Strider - boss

At the end of the game, as is customary in good old 8-bit platformers, a boss awaits Gordon. Yes, not just anyone, but a strider - a hefty walking tripod, which in the real Half Life 2 can be called a serious opponent. But there at least you can hide in houses, but here Gordon faces a fight almost in an open field.

Transition to a new dimension

The ending of the Half Life 2D game is copied from the first Half-Life - the hero passes through a portal and finds himself in another dimension. You'll find out what's going on there when you get there!

Game rating and popularity

In the first weeks after release, according to Wikipedia, Half Life 2D: Codename Gordon was downloaded by more than 600 thousand players. People were amazed at the quality of execution - after all, many were expecting a frankly poor craft, but received an almost full-fledged game in the Half Life series, with a plot, characters and signature weapons.

As a 2D platformer, the game deserves a rating of 9 out of 10, especially compared to many modern hacks.

The downside of the game is the fact that in some scenes where there are many enemies, its performance drops. But now, many years later, computers have become much more powerful, and it is almost not felt.

Almost all publications and blogs that tracked the fate of Valve games wrote about the “two-dimensional Half-Life”. The game was included in Wikipedia and, it would seem, nothing foreshadowed it, when suddenly...

Where did Half Life 2D go?

The game was originally distributed through Steam. But it contained links to the website of the developer company - a common practice for Flash games. And suddenly the development company - NuClearVision - went bankrupt. The links became dead, and for some time the domain even belonged to cybersquatters who hosted a porn site there.

The company went bankrupt, the official website died forever, Steam blocked the game, and rare distributions that were distributed outside of Steam were scattered and lost in numerous archives.

But we found this distribution, unpacked it and, taking into account the increased Internet speeds, posted it online, as befits a flash game.

Platform and implementation of the game

Half Life 2D: Codename Gordon was developed in Flash. For distribution via Steam game packaged into an EXE file with a projector (built-in player). This player only opens in full screen.

But the SWF file inside can be taken out and run directly in the browser, in windowed mode like a regular flash drive.