To try to make the game more belivable , the character never speaks , and there are no cut scenes , all action is seen as if the player was Gordon , with the player being in control of Gordon 's actions at nearly all times . As a means of immersing the player in the role , the character never speaks , and there are no cut-scenes or mission briefingsâ '' all action is viewed through Gordon 's eyes , with the player retaining control of Gordon 's actions at nearly all times . The images of Gordon are only seen on the game 's cover and menu pages , and also in advertisements , making them marketing tools rather than pictures of what Gordon is `` really '' like .