The True Story of Gordon Freeman

It all started at Black Mesa. I was just doing my job, a theoretical physicist, when this experiment went sideways. Suddenly, aliens are pouring in, and the whole place is chaos. I had to fight my way out, grabbing whatever I could find – yeah, including that crowbar – and eventually made it to Xen to try and stop the invasion.

Then, years later, I wake up, and Earth is a mess. The Combine had taken over. So, I teamed up with the resistance, with people like Alyx, and we fought back. We went through City 17, that creepy town Ravenholm, and this Combine prison called Nova Prospekt. We ended up taking down their Citadel, which was a major win.

But it didn't end there. We had to escape the Citadel's destruction, and then we were off to White Forest, trying to get some important data to the rest of the resistance. Lots more Combine to deal with, and we're still trying to figure out their whole plan.

As for the future? Honestly, it's hard to say. We've had some victories, sure, but the Combine are a tough enemy. Their grip on Earth is strong, and they always seem to have something else up their sleeve. All we can do is keep fighting, keep pushing back, and hope that we can eventually win back our planet. We have to believe that humanity has a future, even if it's hard to see right now.

Looking back, there are definitely people who stick in my mind. Alyx Vance, for sure. She's been with me through so much, a constant source of strength and determination. Her father, Eli, was a good man, too. I miss him. Barney Calhoun...he's a good guy, always there to lend a hand, even if he does joke about my MIT education. And Dr. Kleiner, of course, always with his...unique inventions.

Then there are the ones I'd rather forget. Wallace Breen, the Combine's puppet ruler on Earth – a real piece of work. And the Combine themselves, of course, a relentless, oppressive force.