Everyone has favorites. It’s just what comes with having opinions. They’re fun, even! I always have thought that knowing the favorites of someone, as in what they like, is a simple way to get to know a person. And for said person, it’s a fun little time for them to talk on something they love. So that’s what I’m going to address, a few of my favorite things.

Favorite Thing: Portal 2

I’ll start with my favorite video game, mostly due to it being the one that’s been my favorite for the longest tenure, if you will. Portal 2 is so lovely to me because of how it blends a simple and fun gameplay loop with comedic elements. Solving puzzles in Portal is always so much fun to do; thinking on how you place said portals to get the button on the cube or to the exit door is a simple task, but one that is expanded upon in such fun ways. The amount of new layers to the puzzles in this game, such as the lasers, gels, funnels, and bridges, are all fantastic add-ons to that foundation that Portal laid. While the original is a great game in its own right, Portal 2 expands upon the game play to such an extent, where along with the aforementioned comedic elements, it creates a game that is such a joy to play and replay over and over, even if just to see how fast you can beat it this time. I’ve made it a tradition to replay the game every winter break from school. To talk more on the comedic aspects of the game, the voice acting performances, especially from J.K Simmons and Stephen Merchant, add so much character to the game. I die laughing every time at the lemons rant or “The Part Where He Kills You;” I’m not even sure how they came up with something that has just the right amount of absolute absurdity to it, but it makes for such a great experience.

Favorite Thing: Westworld

I tend to be a fairly big sci-fi fan, as is evident by my first two things listed here being some form of sci-fi. Westworld is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The show manages to have some of the most engaging action sequences and themes of any I’ve seen. The first season is commonly praised, especially for Anthony Hopkins’ masterclass of a performance as Dr. Ford, but I am in the somewhat small camp that believes this is just the opening act of a masterpiece. I think the second season is my personal favorite, as the expansion into the worldbuilding, especially with the company of Delos lead to some of the most interesting concepts in the show. The episode “The Riddle of the Sphinx” is a huge highlight for this, but I think the whole season is all equally as fantastic. The acting in this show is absolutely fantastic, the whole ensemble brings their all for four fantastic seasons. I will particularly highlight Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffery Wright, Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, and Aaron Paul, who I think all add so much to the characters on the screen. It is also interesting to see the show shift from its western elements into more of a cyberpunk one in seasons three and four, and I think the outlooks on artificial intelligence and free will are some of the show’s best material in a show that has no real dull spot. I truly wish this show got its fifth and final season, but as is, Westworld still remains my favorite show I’ve ever watched.

Favorite Thing: Random Access Memories

The last of my favorite things I will talk on for today is my favorite album of all time, that being Daft Punk’s final album, released in 2013. Random Access Memories is so great to me because it packs so much emotion into the music. Every single second of every song on the album feels finely crafted to create an album which feels like a tribute to music. There is a fun irony to an album created by a robotic EDM duo, in that this one sounds so human. From the triumphant moments of “Give Life Back to Music,” to the more relaxed of “Motherboard,” and the sheer joy of “Get Lucky,” or the journey of tracks like “Giorgio by Moroder” and “Touch,” the album creates such a vast soundscape that I can relisten over and over and still find little details on every listen in a perfect collection of songs that can manage to fit every last mood that life can bring.

These are a few of my favorite things. I hope you enjoyed this yap, it was a very fun one to write! Have a fantastic rest of your day.