Gravity Gun

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Fictional device

title: "Gravity Gun" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["half-life-(series)", "fictional-energy-weapons", "video-game-weapons"] description: "Fictional device" topic_path: "general/half-life-series" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_Gun" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Fictional device ::

The Gravity Gun (also known as the Zero-point Energy Field Manipulator) is a fictional device from the first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes wielded by the protagonist, Gordon Freeman. Designed for handling hazardous materials, but mostly used for heavy lifting by the anti-Combine resistance, it is capable of picking up and throwing numerous types of objects, including extremely heavy ones, at a high rate of speed, and is used as both a weapon and an obstacle-clearing tool. Due to the novel game mechanics it allows for, it has become known as one of the most iconic video game weapons, and inspired similar physics manipulation tools in subsequent games.

Appearances

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/HL2_gravitygun.jpg" caption="The Gravity Gun (depicted here in artwork for ''[[Half-Life 2: Deathmatch]]'') is capable of turning innocuous objects into weapons, as well as assisting in physics-based puzzles." alt="In the foreground, a woman from ''Half-Life 2: Deathmatch'' holds a weapon which is glowing orange. A damaged toilet is being held in mid-air by the gun, pointed at gun-wielding enemies in the background."] ::

The Gravity Gun is first given to Gordon Freeman by his ally in the anti-Combine resistance, Alyx Vance, after which he uses it as both a weapon and tool. Certain objects in the game world, such as saw blades, can be used as de facto "ammunition", and the Zombie Chopper achievement rewards the player for beating the Ravenholm segment - an abandoned town infested by headcrab zombies - using only the Gravity Gun. Late in the game, Freeman is captured by the Combine and forced to relinquish all his weapons. However, in a sudden plot twist, the Gravity Gun is accidentally supercharged by the energy field meant to destroy it, turning blue and becoming capable of grabbing and throwing living objects, including the Combine themselves. This allows Freeman to escape and defeat the malevolent Doctor Breen.

Reception

The gravity gun was very well received by critics, who considered it one of the defining features of Half-Life 2s entertainment value. Planet Half-Life called the gravity gun "the next level in interactive gaming." Electronic Gaming Monthly described Half-Life 2s gravity gun as the "thinking man's death tool," which lets players "toy with gravity to kill foes with everyday objects." Call of Duty series military adviser Hank Keirsey stated that "the weapon is not very practical". He did, however, discuss its historical precedents, further stating that "The ancients learned very early how to use gravity to their advantage — but this usually involved rolling rocks down hills or pouring boiling oil down the castle walls. Those that failed to respect gravity suffered."

Andy Kelly of GamesRadar+ called the Gravity Gun one way that Half-Life 2 changed gaming forever, citing its usage as a weapon in the zombie-infested town of Ravenholm as a particular high point that caused numerous subsequent games to incorporate physics manipulation devices into their gameplay. Christopher Livingston of PC Gamer described the moment the Gravity Gun turned blue as one of the great moments in PC gaming, calling it a "glorious, cathartic moment".

Legacy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Gordon_Freeman_Cosplay_2.jpg" caption="language=en}}"] ::

Valve's 2020 virtual reality game Half-Life: Alyx, a prequel to Half-Life 2, contains a pair of "gravity gloves" wielded by protagonist Alyx Vance, which provide function similar to the gravity gun with the ability to lift and throw objects, though tailored to work as standard VR in-game hand controls.

References

References

  1. (2004). "[[Half-Life 2]]".
  2. Castle, Katharine. (2023-08-02). "Half-Life 2's Zombie Chopper achievement elevates Ravenholm to a true horror masterpiece". [[Rock Paper Shotgun]].
  3. (December 2004). "''Half-Life 2'' review".
  4. (July 3, 2007). "The Gravity Gun: The Next Level in Interactive Gaming". [[Planet Half-Life]].
  5. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' features seven notable video game weapons and for each of them divides the profiles into sections headed as "The Gun," "Keirsey says...Practicality," "Historical precedents," and "Lethality level." See Evan Shamoon, "Gun Show: A real military expert takes aim at videogame weaponry to reveal the good, the bad, and the just plain silly," ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' 230 (July 2008): 49.
  6. Kelly, Andy. (2014-11-17). "The many ways Half-Life 2 changed gaming forever".
  7. Livingston, Christopher. (2019-07-06). "Great moments in PC gaming: When the gravity gun turns blue in Half-Life 2". PC Gamer.
  8. Accardo, Sal. (March 4, 2005). "''Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil'' Review". [[GameSpy]].
  9. Fahey, Rob. (2008-02-07). "Dead Space has Gravity Gun". [[Eurogamer]].
  10. Gwaltney, Javy. (2019-05-14). "Rage 2 Has A Gravity Gun".
  11. Egan, Toussaint. (August 14, 2021). "Free Guy's IP-bonanza ending was inspired by the entire crew". [[Polygon (website).
  12. Bailey, Dustin. (2023-10-23). "After 11 years, Star Citizen's spin-off is "feature complete," and a 26-minute trailer shows everything from Mark Hamill to a Half-Life 2 gravity gun".
  13. McWhertor, Michael. (November 21, 2019). "Half-Life: Alyx is Valve's VR-exclusive, full-length prequel to Half-Life 2". [[Polygon (website).

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

half-life-(series)fictional-energy-weaponsvideo-game-weapons