Fun read, but really - piffle! :-)

Lack of characterization does not equate to strong characterization. Gordon's complete dearth of presence in the game may well assist the player to immerse themselves in the game world in the ways you point out but it does nothing to help the player to invest in the game's story or the protagonist himself.

The lack of any characterization - at best - is a subtle reminder that you're just controlling floating gun-sight through the gameworld, rather than a character. While some of the NPCs in the game are wonderfully realised (and Valve are justly applauded for it), Gordon himself could just as easily be replaced by a soulless floating robot drone with a shotgun and the sense of connection with the story would be unchanged.

You could wax just as lyrical about the sagaic plot and disincarnate protagonist of Mazogs on the ZX81. Doing so would not infer any presence of character in that protagonist either.

In a game with a truly present and realised protagonist (eg: Jack Walters - Dark Corners of the Earth, JC - Deus Ex, and so on) the player can *inhabit* the character. Playing the character like an actor might, hearing their voice, seeing their face, understanding their virtual experiences through their own eyes - thats where protagonist characterization has an impact on the player.

Nonetheless, good article! Makes ya think ;-)