Hey there, I like some of what your saying in the post. I'm pretty tired of the arguments I see about what makes a good game in the AAA spaces, when the answer is to just try to make one in most cases rather than some secret magic of just make it open world or a souls-like. It why you get games randomly getting big and loved, AAA or not. I've recently finished up some 2D portfolio work, so I'm still new to this sphere but you can take a look at my stuff here: https://www.artstation.com/creatingkingdoms143
In general, I'm just job hunting right now, or figuring out if I should get experience (likely unpaid unfortunately) or further education, as I only will have a certificate rather than a full degree at the end of my program in Dec. I've started to get more into the games you brought up, even just bought Peak to try out soon, stuff like Buckshot Roulette or Bread & Fred, that have been a lot of fun. Makes me miss playing multiplayer in person as a kid. It's cool you seem open to feedback with a clear idea of what you want still. I also don't want to get into the bigger game studios myself, so if you like the art you see, let me know. Hope you find what your looking for soon!