Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman quickly became and then remained one of the most popular video game characters ever. In 2008, "The Age" ranked him as the 16th-best Xbox hero of all time, adding that "no one has done more for the reputations and street cred of theoretical physicists than Valve." In 2009, GameDaily listed the "strong and silent type" in their top 25 video game archetypes, using Gordon Freeman as an example. In 2010, "Empire" ranked him as the number one Greatest Video Game Character, commenting that "the character is the quintessential geek fantasy" who "has become a gaming icon, synonymous with the apotheosis of first-person action."