4. Gordon Freeman Will Be A Physicist And An Action Hero
Gordon Freeman is a blank vessel for players. Despite being a silent protagonist with little-to-no personality, he's one of the most popular characters in video game history. Why? Players can invest in him. Valve created a lot of blanks for us to fill in about Gordon Freeman. Players can create an entire story around who Gordon is and how his course through the Half-Life games changes him. Here's all we know about Freeman: he's a physicist in his late 20's, with a Ph.D. to his credit and a picture of a baby in his employee locker. The latter is a great touch - I've always imagined his wife and newborn were a few miles away from Black Mesa at an Air Force base. I can't imagine they're still alive by the time we get to Half-Life 2. A bit morbid? Maybe. But that's a perfect example of how easy it is to invent your own Gordon Freeman, to give him a character arc that pleases you and you alone. Making Gordon Freeman into a specific character feels... limiting. It's the only reservation I have about a Half-Life movie. Abrams would no doubt tone down the one-man army that Freeman becomes in the game, but that only makes him into a more believable character. Abrams mentions the original Die Hard several times during the DICE presentation, which is the gold standard for creating heightened reality in film. Abrams would bring that same sensibility to Half-Life, with a believable, grounded protagonist who uses his brains more than his brawn to survive.