This is the Gman, an enigmatic figure that follows the player through the series. He is not overly malicious or obviously supportive, but does on several occasions trap the player in serious danger as many times as he is seen simply observing from an unreachable area.
"While the codename 'Gman' slipped into common use, it remains merely a codename." [1]
The character of the Gman alludes to the Men in Black that feature in various UFO conspiracy theories. Their attire, strange behaviour and unflappable calmness in the face of danger is very similar to those of the Gman, and his ‘name’ is merely a codename, taken from the slang “G-Man” which is short for Government Man.
Unlike the carefully designed and animated rebels in Half Life 2 (HL2), the Gman was designed to deliberately invoke the Uncanny Valley effect.
The most obvious aspect of this is his voice. It is rasping and slow, but commanding. As he speaks, he places unusual emphasis on certain syllables, stutters in the manner of a broken record, elongates S sounds, pauses in odd places and has a constant, low-key grinding sound just out of hearing.
“He behaves as though he's had to learn 'human' behaviour out of books and films.” [2]
His posture and movements are rigid, precise and robotic, a huge contrast to the smooth movements of the other humanoid characters. He never runs, even if danger is imminent, and walks with all the grace of a wind-up toy. His gestures, such as straightening his tie or brushing off his lapels, are unconvincingly stiff and oddly routine, as if he had been practising the movement beforehand rather than doing it without thinking.
Doug Wood, the animator of the Gman, states that "I wanted the player to never quite know what side the G-Man was on. I would have him express an apologetic look toward Freeman as he 'regretted' to put Dr. Freeman in this situation, but then give a slight smirk or smile at the end to keep you guessing about his sincerity."[1]
His face is uncommonly gaunt and pallid when compared to other HL2 characters. His facial expressions do not match his tone of voice or what he is saying, and some of his facial muscles will twitch and pull in odd directions, and sometimes his lips won’t synch up with his voice.
Heightening the Gman’s strange speech and mannerisms is that he has only directly communicated to the player during abstract sequences, his face being contrasted with the black void, images of important places or characters, and hints of events to come.
The Gman appears to have powers of teleportation; on many occasions he has appeared in unreachable locations, or seen walking into what is evidently a dead end, disappearing without a trace. The Gman uses this ability to keep track of Freeman, to make sure that things are following his plans, with the side effect of heightening paranoia in the player whenever they see him watching. At other times he has moved Gordon Freeman from the real world to a featureless black void. The reason for this is not entirely clear, but it appears that the Gman is “storing” Freeman for the purposes of having a skilled pawn to unleash when he needs things doing.
Gman also occasionally hints at his “employers,” suggesting that he is working for a higher power than himself, though the reason is unexplained. These employers, among other things, have been theorised as the source of the Gman’s powers, some benevolent organisation working against the Combine (the main enemies in the Half Life series), or a group of Gmen.
At one point, Dr Wallace Breen hints that there is more than one of these employers, in competition for the Gman’s services, and by extent the player’s:
"Did you realize your contract was open to the highest bidder?" – Dr. Wallace Breen, during the Our Benefactors chapter [3]
Dr. Breen also seems to know about the time Dr. Freeman spent in the black void:
"I have good reason to believe that in the intervening years, he was in a state that precluded further development of covert skills." – Dr. Wallace Breen, during the Nova Prospekt chapter [3]
The Gman is always viewed at a distance, as he is seemingly keen to stay out of the thick of things, relying on pawns like Freeman to do his dirty work, taking a direct hand only when Freeman’s mission is complete and he needs to return the doctor to the black void again. However, in the HL2 sequential Episodes the Gman is forced to take a more active role, as the alien Vortigaunts rescue Freeman from the black void in Episode 1.
“We’ll see...about that.” The Gman to the player, Half Life 2: Episode 1 opening cutscene. [4]
During the opening cutscene of Episode 1, the Vortigaunts can be seen holding back the Gman with their own psychic powers as a pair of them rescue Gordon Freeman. This is the first time the Gman has shown emotions; at first amusement at the Vortigaunts efforts and then annoyance when he realises they’re succeeding against him. This is the only time the Gman is seen during Episode one, representing that Freeman has escaped his surveillance.
The Gman doesn’t catch up with the player until partway through Episode 2, waiting until the Vortigaunts are distracted so he can communicate with Freeman in another abstract sequence. He also places a hypnotic suggestion in Freeman’s companion Alyx Vance. During this exchange he comes across as apologetic in the most sarcastic manner possible, still viewing Freeman and other humans as tools in his master plan, and mocks Freeman for his method of dealing with problems. He also drops a few hints about his plans for Freeman and Alyx.
“Doctor Freeemaaan. I realize this moment may not be the most convenient for a 'heart-to-heart', but I had to wait until your... 'friends' were otherwise occupied. Hm. There was a time they cared nothing for Miss Vance... When their only experience of humanity was a crowbar coming at them down a steel corridor. When I plucked her from Black Mesa, I acted in the face of objections that she was a mere child and of no practical use to anyone. I have learned to ignore such naysayers when... quelling them... was out of the question. Still, I am not one to squander my investments... and I remain confident she was worth far more than the initial... appraisal. That's why I must now extract from you some small repayment owed for your own survival. See her safely to White Forest, Doctor Freeman. I wish I could do more than keep an eye on you, but I have agreed to abide by certain... restrictions. Mmm.” The Gman, during the This Vortal Coil chapter of HL2: Episode 2 [5]
The Gman has had a widespread and lasting effect on the Half Life community due to his mysterious nature. Several websites exist, dedicated to cataloguing his appearances and quotes, and figuring out exactly who or what he and his goals are.
The Gman is a highly sinister form of the Trickster character archetype. He uses his powers to upset the status quo and disrupt the lives of others, for his own goals and purposes rather than just amusement. He also fills the role of the Mentor archetype, but barely, through vague hints rather than direct help.
The character is also used to create a sense of paranoia in players, using his abilities in unnerving ways to make the player question just what his schemes are. This in turn creates a feeling of always being watched, and many players have said that the brief glimpses of him gives them chills, only for him to turn a corner and disappear before they catch up and have their questions answered.
Ultimately, the Gman represents an unreachable figure because of where he appears in the game worlds and his unexplained character, leading him to be tirelessly researched and sought after. Valve, the creators of Half Life, know and exploit this curiosity, leaving breadcrumbs to the Gman’s true identity in hidden spots of their games, found only by careful searching (the so called "Headcrab Barbeque" is the most well known).
However, the Gman is used sparingly. He is the only character who behaves in this way, and he only appears once or twice in each of Half Life’s chapters (most of which are an hour or more long). To have more than one character act like, or to have him appear every ten minutes, would lessen his impact. Careful level-planning, character design and timing has kept the mystery of the Gman alive, the natural curiosity of video gamers fuelling his continued success as a character.
Examples of the Gman’s speech patterns, facial expressions and general oddness can be seen here and here.
[1] Valve (2004) Half Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games Publishing
[2] http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UncannyValley
[3] Half Life 2, Valve, 2004
[4] Half Life 2: Episode 1, Valve, 2006
[5] Half Life 2: Episode 2, Valve, 2007
All pictures screen-captured from Half Life 2 and HL2: Episode 2.
No comments:
Post a Comment