What do we really know about Gordon Freeman? Not that much. I am sure many of you have wondered about his life outside of Black Mesa, so this could be the first of many fun polls, based around the idea of:
What Would Freeman Do?
BTW, I emailed Doug at Valve and mentioned the poll and asked what kinds of cars they drove but haven’t received an answer.
One thing that would be interesting would be to hear why you think he would drive the option you selected. Who can justify him driving a 2 door compact?
The most convincing argument for their choice of car wins a $5 Steam game. Get voting and writing!
The Poll
I’m going to have to go with a 2-door compact/hybrid. Sure, a hybrid is cliche, but one has to consider that the Gordon in the games was thrust into the role he plays. His choice was not to be a hero, but, rather, to push science forward. His glasses indicate he is, hardly, focused on style, but more about practicality. He was thrust into the role of a hero with a crowbar and he silently plods on, honing his skills. Sure, vocally, Gordon does not develop, but in terms of others” reactions he is becoming a legend. After all of this, Black Mesa and City 17, I think he’d change, drive a muscle car for kicks, but I think he’d still have his little hybrid sitting in the garage for those long road trips.
I am pretty sure that Gordon will use a motor bike, since he will be trying to get to somewhere fast, and sometimes have to escape the enemy, so, I think it will kinda good for these long-long roads that is full of obstacles, not to mention the turbo, for jumping through high ledges, and cool style driving, yeah, I am voting for motorbike.
Pretty obvious he relies on public transport since he(me) can’t drive squat.
seriously I came here to say that, the amount of stuff I (gordon freeman) hits while driving would give me that impression.
Heheh, yeah that’s very true of me too.
Public transportation. I mean, are we sure he really ever had a life? He could live to work. They have cafeteria’s in Black Mesa so he wouldn’t need to go to the supermarket (Which I would bet isn’t anywhere conveniently near the place) and he doesn’t have a family, so he wouldn’t need to bring them anywhere. It seems to me like he’s an intravert, for a number of reasons. He never speaks, for one. He follows orders very well, I mean who else can flip a switch like Gordon? 😉 So yes, public transportation.
But I am Gordon Freeman! So it’s my splendiferous Ford Focus.
1.8 litres in a small car. Power to weight ratio – brilliant, goes like you know what off a shovel.
Motorbike would be fun but with Alyx riding pillion and taking pot shots, she’s likely to take my earlobes clean off.
4X4, no fear. Too big a target for the Combine to hit.
Wasn’t his Beta model known as Ivan the Space Biker? He definitely drives a motorcycle…in space…
…and his middle name is Ivan…
2 door sports/convertible. I think he would use this car cause he worked in Black mesa where they get a lot of money as we see in aperture science power point exposition, he got a ph.D from MIT.. so I don`t think that with so much money he would buy a van, or use public transport.. and this is a car for a lonely man with great amount of money and top quality education..
P.S: sorry for my english I’m from South America
I agree, but in USA people also buy big luxury cars a lot, so I think he would drive an off road. Also you can see off road cars used by facility in game.
as gordon is the love child of dr house I guess motorcycle.
A quick note to everybody.
I don’t think I made myself clear. I am not talking about after the Black Mesa incident, but BEFORE that. When he was Gordon Freeman, scientist, not hero.
Forget about driving away from the Combine or battling Striders. just his everyday car for his very normal life.
Actually you did.
Some of us did not read the post properly (again), including me.
2 door compact/hybrid. Before the Black Mesa incident, I imagine GF to be mild mannered and self-effacing. Anything with muscle or speed would be out of character.
I doubt that he would use public transport because I also seee him as a somewhat introverted.
Well, that could go either way. There’s always those quiet, alone ones that keep to themselves on buses/trains/etc.
True, introverts can been in public places and transport in their own little world. However, I see him as a loner who does not particularly enjoy the company of others, physically or otherswise except for single people or small groups known to him.
I think he would prefer to travel in a small vehicle, keeping a low profile, so avoiding interaction with others outside of the small group of people he knows.
Or I’m barking up the wrong tree, or just barking!
Yeah, that’s a good point. Ha the poor guy ends up leading these multitudes too. Irony.
Ok, a lot of this is written a while after the question was posted but I think what is here is within the quick note to everybody.
The real question is what type of car did Freeman drive? Since that fateful day in 1998, Gordon has only (in Valve games so far, not mods/maps) driven a train like vehicle (HL1) and in the HL2 series the Airboat, buggy and Jalopy.
Now taking into account that Black Mesa at the time, was carrying out secret experiments it’s fair to say the facility was a secret (look how long it took the helicopters to get there in Opposing force), along the lines of Area 51. In such a place it’s more than probable that he lived on base so had no need to drive, so how did he get to Black Mesa. Public transport almost certainly would not go anywhere near it and if he was driving (1998 no widespread GPS) how would he find it for the first time with no road signs like the one below.
http://www.magicmonkeys.co.uk/games/files/secretnuclearbunker.jpg
To get to Black Mesa he must have been picked up at an airport/train station by transport laid on by Black Mesa.
Well the type of car he would have driven prior to Black Mesa hmm? Let’s look at what we know.
He was highly educated, but in a highly specialised field (so highly specialised that most people would say “sorry! Say that again”) which would not have earned him much on the lecture circuit.
Now unless he came from a wealthy rather than middle class family (we just don’t know), back in 1998 he would have probably driven a Volvo (the old angular ones), possibly the estate/station wagon variety, its sturdy it’s practical (yes I know it’s a boring car). Unless it’s a Hollywood film, scientists (in my experience) don’t drive sports cars unless they are old classics.
Onto now, 2010 and Gordon is still in the employ of the G-man and the environment he finds himself in is a post apocalyptic world/Eastern Europe. Wherever he goes there are cars abandoned almost everywhere, if he can find any that still go he can take his pick.
Now if we suppose the resonance cascade never happened and the 7 Hours War failed to happen. What type of car would Freeman drive now?
The first car to rule out is the Toyota Prius; yes it may appeal to gadget freaks (but remember ” The Car in front is a Toyota” just thank god it’s not behind you)
The list of car/vehicle types Phillip has provided and the link to the Combine Overwiki provides some clues, so here goes.
4/5 door family vehicle — He has no dependents so why does he need a family vehicle?
SUV/4×4/ATV (off road style vehicle) — OK! Where does 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 (essentially about the teleportation of matter through extremely dense elements) relate to the need to go off road?
2 door sports/convertible — The assumption here, is that now at the age of 39 (he was 27 in 1998 its now 2010) that he and Alyx did indeed get together after all. Not wishing to sound like a misogynist, chauvinist, sexist. He would only have that type of car to impress a girl nearly half his age, unless it was a classic sports car he had had for years.
MOTORBIKE! — Well its possible two wheels may be his choice but as he went to MIT I suspect a pushbike/bicycle may have been his main experience of two wheels. Unless he was into rock music, but I cant envisage Gordon in jeans and a leather jacket. A lab coat on a Harley just wouldn’t look the part.
4 door sedan — Now that’s a little more sensible, but what does he need 4 doors for? He’s not a salesman who needs to project a family image to get him the sale. He doesn’t speak to anyone so why does he need 4 doors? If I got into the back seat with Gordon driving I’d make sure I had my PSP, as conversation wouldn’t be an option!
He would use public transport — Yes I can see why he would, BUT he studied at MIT, a university city/town/location. For the most part such places tend to have the students living in close proximity to the campus usually within walking/cycling distance. His conditioning from those days would probably put him in the frame of mind that public transport is to be used on day’s where the weather makes walking/cycling uncomfortable.
That leaves only one choice, surprise!!!!!!
2 door compact or hybrid — Gordon as we have all come to know is a psychopathic anti-social Git. When both Dr. Judith Mossman and Alyx Vance show an interest in him (I wouldn’t have said no to either), what does Gordon do? Does he react? Does he say anything? NO.
The 2 door compact is his ideal choice as it is the most anti-social type of car you can get. For the most part 2 door compact cars have little (comfortable) room for anyone in the back. In the front the driver can put the seat back for a comfortable driving position and imprison the person in the rear seat.
Gordon Freeman would almost definitely drive one of these:
http://www.yikebike.com/
Sure it looks a little nerdy, but is actually fairly practical and stores easily.
To further back up my choice, with a degree as a theoretical physicist working for a secret government funded research center, he’s got the funds to support the purchase, and he probably lives close to the site as well considering the level of secrecy involved.
It’s also in the middle of Arizona or something near there which is going to have fairly consistent weather and not likely to need the closed environment of an actual vehicle.
Plus, depending on how anal retentive the security is, he can either have it checked at the first security checkin station, or perhaps even take it with him to help scooter around the actual facility, which is huge.
While some people might argue that “if that was his vehicle, then why didn’t it appear in the game?” the simple explanation is that coworkers complained (mainly other scientists who were jealous watching him not have to walk everywhere) and a company policy was instituted (safety reasons is the excuse they gave) that disallowed personal transportation vehicles to be used.
In fact, because the policy was only just instituted, Gordon wasn’t able to use it to come to work, and didn’t know bus routes well enough, which is why he ended up late to work on the day of the resonance cascade incident.
Do you wanna know what type of car Gordon Freeman would drive? Just check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srOQ9JK3IPQ
😉
I’m fairly sure he would go with a DeLorean DMC-12 from 1981. Of course, it needs a lot of fuel and then comes the speed limit. But if Gordon Freeman had to drive a car, why not do it with some style? The stainless steel construction is a huge plus, the flux capacitor engine performs really well. Though the American version of the car is quite disappointing compared to the European model, which has a 170 horsepower (130 kW) output for the engine.
What immediately came to mind was a Volvo, an old one. Somehow suits the appearance of the guy, and being a scientist.
Precisely my thought….an old Volvo, but not a P1800. Too sporty.
Gordon is a low-key personality type, taking action only when needed, and very shy around women.
Before the Black Mesa incident, Gordon most likely spent a lot of time on romance websites and Craigslist…..
I voted 4-door sedan. Perhaps a Volvo, maybe a Honda, who knows–at any rate, something practical and safe, preferably with decent gas mileage.
I don’t know that hybrids were widely available in 1998. If they were (and affordable) he might have had one.
If he were into outdoor activities, he would have had an SUV/4×4 instead.
If he lived in a city with decent public transportation before working at Black Mesa, he might have used public transportation. But we’re talking an American here–a car is almost as necessary in the west as a horse used to be. He may take public transportation to work, but he’d probably have a car, too.
He would drive whatever you drive, you are Freeman after all.
I believe public transport would have been the most practical of options for Gordon. Though, I don’t think he really would have travelled much anyway.
While at Black Mesa he had his accommodation on base (being a secret research base that’s no real surprise) and those trams seemed to go everywhere where Gordon needed to go.
Just before Black Mesa, Gordon was residing on campus at the Institute for Experimental Physics in Innsbruck, Austria (according to the employment acceptance letter) so he probably didn’t need transportation beyond his legs or maybe a bicycle.
Gordon’s background info also indicates that he is heavily involved in academia at MIT so I believe he was either living on campus or very close to it in order to be as close to his research as possible. Why would he research teleportation if he didn’t mind wasting time travelling?
DUH???
Q would repair 007 car sell second hand to gordon, gordon would drive it for 30 seconds total it and take your car!!
I’m pretty sure it would be a convertible. Pretty much every cool engineer geek I know has one. 🙂 Each of the options has its good and bad points, but I can just see him enjoying his drive to work (pre BM) or just cruising around looking awesome.
I’m assuming that Gordon’s practically living in or around Black Mesa for this. Being that the roads around Black Mesa could be more or less bumpy, hilly, and yes, there are the cliffs, I’d think he would drive something like an SUV with 4-wheel drive. It’s harder to drive a sedan and maybe even a sportscar around on terrain like that. As for the motorcycle, I just don’t see him driving one.
If Black Mesa was somewhere other than a place like New Mexico, I’d say that Gordon would drive a sedan or whatever he fancies at that point, but I’d think he’d choose an SUV for it’s ease of handling rough terrain. The differences between a sedan and an SUV should be self-explanatory; a sedan is built for getting from Point A to Point B in places like a suburban or city area. An SUV is designed with rough terrain in mind, especially if it includes four-wheel drive.
In several mods I have played. the parking deck area were the big blue guy gothalathion? I seem to remember a farrii and a corvette. I guess he mixes them up. hehe.
Considering his previous employment was in the middle of the desert, I’d guess a 4×4. One that deals with the heat and dust pretty well.
2 door hybrid.
He is a well payed scientist, therefore he can afford having his own hybrid car to go to work. The wife will be driving the family car.
It definitely is a hybrid: as a scientist he is well aware of his CO2 footprint, and he tries to minimize it. That’s why the second car (his) is a hybrid.
Plus, being a reckless driver (see HL2 to convince yourself) he needs a small car in order to park it in an almost acceptable manner.
Next you’ll be asking about his parents or childhood or something.
Stay Tuned!
Host: “Gordon Freeemaaannnnn! THIS. IS. YOUR. LIFE!”
GF: …?
Host: “That’s right Gordon! We’re going to take a trip down memory lane, starting with; do you remember this voice?”
BF: “Holy Crap! It’s really you, Gourd-head! I can’t even believe you’ve managed to survive all this crazy crap that’s happened, but now you’re actually the leader of the rebel resistance? Man, it’s just like when we were kids, everyone thought you were weird how you never talked to anyone, but it didn’t matter since you still kicked ass while we were playing a pickup game!”
GF: …? … …!
Host: “Thhaaaaaat’s right! It’s your older brother, Benjamen Freeman, that you haven’t seen in over 30 years! (though that would only be about 10 years for you since you were in cold storage for around 20 of them)
BF: Bro! It’s me!
GF: :’)
In the HL1 Mod “Asure Sheep” at the beginning when your on guard u see gordon arrive at black mesa in a red sports car and he had sun glasses on lol but I dont think he would drive that but I think he would be more of a 4X4 kinda guy if u ask me.
He would take Public transport…. With a Crowbar.
Would rather have a crowbar and not need it, then need a crowbar and not have it.
What with all the trains in the game, how can anyone not vote public transport?
Well in Azure Sheep he pulls up in a Ferrari Mondial 8 Coupe looking thing.. which a rocket scientist could well afford, but some thing that he could drive off road across the desert at 60 mph makes more sense.. But probably both..