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| G-Man | |
|---|---|
| Half-Life character | |
| First appearance | Half-Life |
| Voiced by | Michael Shapiro |
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Appearances
editThe G-Man first appears in Half-Life, where he appears throughout the game in various cameo roles. After the game is beaten, the G-Man will appear to protagonist Gordon Freeman in the void and offer him a "job."[1] Depending on the player's decision, Freeman can either die or be put into stasis by the G-Man.[2][1] The G-Man is additionally responsible for giving the Black Mesa institute a crystal that incites the events of the game.[1] In Half-Life 2, he brings Gordon to the future, which is ruled by the Combine, a malevolent alien species.[1] Following Gordon's destruction of the Combine Citadel, the G-Man attempts to recapture Gordon, but is stopped by the Vortigaunts, allowing Freeman to escape. While the Vortigaunts work to save the life of Alyx Vance, G-Man momentarily freezes time to speak to Gordon, where he reveals he saved Vance from Black Mesa when she was younger, believing she had "further value" and asks Freeman to protect Vance.[3] He reappears in Half-Life: Alyx, where he is imprisoned by The Combine. Vance frees him, and the G-Man reveals he can "nudge" moments in time to grant Alyx's desires. Alyx asks for The Combine to leave Earth, but the G-Man instead offers Vance the opportunity to save her father from his death in Half-Life 2. The G-Man offers Vance a job, locking her in stasis. Alyx's father, Eli, and Gordon set out to rescue Alyx from the G-Man's control as the game ends on a cliffhanger.[3]
The G-Man is mentioned as working for his "employers," though who they are is unknown.[1]
Conception and design
editChuck Jones, the character designer who modelled several Half-Life characters, stated that the G-Man was directly based off the Cigarette Smoking Man from The X-Files, which he stated designer Gabe Newell "wanted to see."[4]
The G-Man has been voiced by actor Michael Shapiro since his debut. Shapiro recorded his lines for the G-Man in Valve's first recording studio in Kirkland, Washington.[2] Shapiro was initially shown a pencil sketch of the character alongside some of G-Man's dialogue when pitched to voice the character.[5] Shapiro felt that lyricism and tempo were key for a lot of the G-Man's speech, describing G-Man's voice as a "form of music." As such, he created a stuttering voice[2] with a "stilted cadence"[6] for the character, which he stated came to him quickly in production of the first game. Shapiro stated that "He’s a very clear person and personality and persona and that’s true vocally and it’s true in the spirit and in the way he manipulates those around him. For me, it is very hand in hand with the voice.”[2] He described the character as "knowing more than he's saying" and built the character's voice and tempo around the idea that the G-Man was very personally connected to those around him.[5][7] Shapiro would get close to the microphone to record the character's lines, as he was able to impart more nuance into the character's voice. Shapiro described the process of voicing the G-Man as almost "putting himself in a trance," picturing the G-Man's backstory and characteristics due to his familiarity with the character.[2]
Shapiro was brought back into a studio in New York City to record his lines for Half-Life: Alyx. Shapiro recounted that when he had finished recording his lines, those who were watching him record were "jumping up and down and waving their arms around because it’s working."[2]
Reception
editJames Throughton of TheGamer praised the G-Man's mysterious nature. He stated that the G-Man's mystery and the fan speculation surrounding the G-Man's true identity helped to make the character unique and keep the Half-Life series relevant despite the franchise's lack of releases. He felt that giving an answer to what G-Man is would ruin the mystique surrounding the character and ultimately undermine him as a whole.[1]
The G-Man's character model was used in the web series Skibidi Toilet.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Troughton, James (2023-01-04). "Half-Life's G-Man Mystery Should Never Be Answered". TheGamer. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e f Saavedra, John (2020-03-27). "Half-Life: The Origin and Return of the G-Man". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b Marks, Tom (2020-03-24). "Half-life: Alyx Ending Explained - How It Connects to Past Games". IGN. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Iconic Half-Life character is not who we thought, Valve designer says". PCGamesN. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b Gault, Matthew (2020-03-25). "We Asked the G-Man Himself About 'Half-Life 3'". Vice. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (2020-03-25). "We Asked the G-Man Himself About 'Half-Life 3'". Vice. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Kelly, Andy (2020-03-26). "The voice of the G-Man: 'I know more about him and his story than I've ever been able to say'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Manuel, Tiago (2024-03-30). "Plumbing the depths of Skibidi Toilet with Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw". Destructoid. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
External links
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