Lenny Woollard
Environment and prop artist.
Lenny Woollard
Environment and prop artist.
About me
My name is Lenny, and I love video games.Â
I would consider myself a lifelong gamer. I've had the privilege of playing hundreds of games throughout my childhood to the present day. Not to mention how many different consoles I've had: PS2, Xbox 360 (I still have that one), Xbox One S, Xbox Series X, a Nintendo DS, a Wii, and probably a few others I'm forgetting. So needless to say, I love video games. And for the longest time, it never occurred to me, nor did it really interest me, how these games were made. But as I got older, I became more intrigued by the inner workings of games and how stunning they looked. Huge, giant vistas, castles towering above, Starships spanning thousands of metres. I felt nothing but admiration.Â
Now I'm in the second year of a university degree in computer games art, and quite frankly, I couldn't be happier. I've learnt heaps over the last year, had some interesting talks with industry figures, and really managed to hone my skills to the point where I'm proud of the work I have produced. And I think it's incredibly important to reflect on my work as I go, since mistakes are the best way to learn.
 As I thought about my future and what I really wanted to do in life, I knew there was only one real answer. That one day I, too, could be creating such magnificent pieces of art- not even in scale, but in attention to detail- would be my absolute dream. I was never good at drawing in school, so I always had a natural distaste for art in general, but when I began learning about 3D art, it really ignited my creative spark.
What is my favourite game though?
It's a tough choice, but if I had to pick: Cyberpunk 2077
Credit: GamesRadar https://www.gamesradar.com/cyberpunk-2077-retail-copies-are-out-in-the-wild-ahead-of-launch/
The writing was also just perfect. The story had some truly heart-wrenching moments, some of which carried through the whole game. Johnny Silverhand was such a well-written character for me because I could never hate him, but I also never really liked him. He's a complex character who slowly comes to respect V and feel for him, which can evoke feelings of empathy and curiosity in readers.
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There are so many easter eggs hidden throughout the world, too, such as Skippy the pistol.
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And then there's the Phantom Liberty DLC. This is easily the best DLC I have ever played. Saving the president of the NUSA in hostile territory, working as an undercover operative, exploring Dogtown. It was extraordinary. There's a level toward the end of the DLC where an enemy stalks you through an abandoned underground facility, and it was absolutely terrifying. The level design, the sound design, everything contributed to creating this horrifying level where I truly feared death, making me want to experience it firsthand.
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CD Projekt Red did an amazing job with this game. It had an unmistakably terrible launch, but they kept supporting the game by providing free updates and the Phantom Liberty DLC, which shows their dedication. Now it's considered one of the best games of the 21st century, inspiring confidence in potential players.
I have played some truly amazing games that will always stay etched in my memory. Fallout series, The Outer Worlds, the Assassin's Creed series, Skyrim, and many more. But only a handful of games have ever truly captivated me enough that I paused to appreciate what I was seeing; Cyberpunk 2077 was absolutely one of them.
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The moment I stepped out of V's megabuilding and saw the detail and life in the streets, I was genuinely taken aback. Immediately, it was probably the most, if not one of the most, beautiful games I had ever seen. The aesthetic is easily one of my favourites; technology infesting everything around it, huge holograms polluting the sky, gigantic billboards on every building. It truly does look amazing.
Of course, it's not just about how the game looks, though. The movement mechanics feel super smooth, especially once you get some nice new chrome from your favourite Ripperdoc. You can play combat any way you like, or ignore it if you're a master netrunner.Â