10 Background Video Game Characters That Change EVERYTHING
5. G-Man - Half Life
In a line lifted almost directly from my CV, Half-Life's G-Man is described as a "sinister, inter-dimensional bureaucrat". Recurring throughout the series, his presence in the initial game is incredibly easy to miss until the very closing stages, normally quietly observing you play the game from the safety of some unreachable areas.
There are many theories about his origins and, indeed, as the franchise rolled on he became one of the central narrative pillars but, in that first game, he's little more than eerie window dressing.
Who's that adjusting their tie on a tram? G-Man. Arguing with a scientist while shooting you daggers? G-Man. Casually peering down from a walkway before bolting down a corridor? G-Man. Innocuously admiring the view of this cave while a soldier gets his skull melted off less than 20ft away? G-Man. The man's about as unsettlingly casual as a pair of Hawaiian shorts at a funeral.
When he finally does get a chance to interact with you at the game's climax he wields powers well beyond those of a mere human, and launches you through space on some sort of magic tram.