Citizens' Reactions to Gordon Freeman

[ríomhaire]

I don't know about you but after Dr. Breen's speach about Gordon Freeman,

unsophisticated minds continue to imbue him with romantic power, giving him such dangerous poetic labels as the One Free Man, the Opener of the Way.

I was expecting a hero's welcome from citizens. Instead they just treat you like an ordinary citizen, who they just happen to be taking orders from at the moment. It annoyed me, it's not that I wanted to be treated like a messiah in the game, it's just that Valve made it seem like I would and then fail to deliver. Breen seems to think that people worship Freeman yet they don't really seem to care. "You're Freeman huh? That's nice, oh, and don't forget to reload". The only people that show anywhere near the kind of respect for you that Breen claims is Mossman (who only admires you as a scientist) and the Vortigaunts (who have some very mixed feelings t'wards you)

 

[Jintor]

Really? I fealt they were always like "OMG, DR FREEMAN, BETTER ACT LIKE A COMPLETE NUBCAKE OR HE WON'T LIKE ME!"

I felt like they were always smilling in relief when they spotted me. It made me a little depressed when I would send them in first into Combine-infested buildings...

 

[Helix]

I was expecting a hero's welcome from citizens. Instead they just treat you like an ordinary citizen, who they just happen to be taking orders from at the moment.

Chalk it down to the sardonic attitudes of citizens who are used to being promised changes without having them delivered. There were some types who did look up to Freeman, but they didn't fawn, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. A little cynicism is in keeping with reality.

 

[Laivasse]

Yeah, actually I felt the same way as Jintor.

In the beginning (ie. before the teleport from Nova Prospekt) it felt like a lot of people weren't reacting to you much at all, but I felt that was because they simply didn't recognise the face. That is, they might have heard the story of 'the Freeman', but didn't have a face to put to the name.

Then when you get back from NP, everyone instantly knows who you are because, I guess, news had spread - plus, the legend had been strengthened. That gave me a little bit of a sense of feeling special, because somehow it felt like people had been talking excitedly about you in your absence, so that as soon as you stumble across a group of people they're instantly all like 'h-hey! It's Freeman...!'. Also you had the Resistance/Lambda emblem popping up everywhere, giving Freeman's past a kind of pseudo-mythical quality.

Also, although it might have been unintentional on Valve's part, the endless supply of NPC's backing you up in situations like the strider fights in Anticitizen One made it feel to me like the citizens were going all out to chuck themselves into the grinder for you. They come streaming out to back you up and then get mown down instantly, just so this legendary 'Freeman' can get a few inches further.

 

[Ennui]

Reading Laivasse's post has made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. I essentially agree with him completely; that's the same feeling I had playing through HL2 the first time.

 

[Hullu]

yeah, did you miss all those moments when they appear out of nowhere now and then (because you've sent all previous citizens to suicide missions) and they go 'hey, it's mr freeman!!!' and then their survival instincts stop working and they start following your commands blindly. that doesnt make you feel like the messiah?

 

[i am HOLLYWOOD]

I have to agree with Riomhare here. . . yes, they know your name, yes they have a slightly excited town. . but they're not ecstatic that you're there either.

That's what i liked about Halo/Halo2, the marines would always comment about how you were a spartan and stuff. . . and all the Grunts and Elites were convinced you were a demon.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Really? I fealt they were always like "OMG, DR FREEMAN, BETTER ACT LIKE A COMPLETE NUBCAKE OR HE WON'T LIKE ME!"

Anyways, I normally didnt care that much for the rebels, cause I knew there would always be more.

However, there were some that I liked having around, just to know that I saved them.

Example: In Anticitizen 1 (or Follow Freeman, I forget), there was that small building with one rebel yelling "Run for your lives!" running down the stairs, with a combine with a shotgun chasing him/her. Normally, this rebel would be shot and killed before you could kill him, but I tried stepping in front of his shot, saving the rebel and then killing the soldier. The rebel would then join you on your way through the level. Sadly, the rebel almost always died at another point, for which I felt badly.

 

[chimpmunk]

Am I the only one at whom the citizens shouted "Hey, Doctor Freeman, wait for me!" or "Hey, it's freeman, follow him!".
Because i felt the Citizens were pretty much in love with me.

 

[McGooTheWise]

Am I the only one at whom the citizens shouted "Hey, Doctor Freeman, wait for me!" or "Hey, it's freeman, follow him!".
Because i felt the Citizens were pretty much in love with me.

Well I felt like the citizens were just out to get in my way, piss me off, and be human shields... of blocking me from WERE I'M TRYING TO GO!!!!! ><

What happened to the good ole' days of halo where if you looked at a marine he'd back off like "Whoa... He might headshot me, cause he be teh 1337 Master Chief."?

 

[CyberPitz]

First they are like, "Hey who's this asshole?" Then you stick it in their pooper, and they are like, "HEY FOLLOW FREEMAN!" What whores.