Bethesda

I wouldn't call The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim my favorite game or anything (that honour belongs to the Mass Effect series, specifically ME3), but it comes really close.

Why Skyrim really does it for me is the sheer sense of immersion into another world. Even if that world is procedurally generated, there's enough variety within that even now, after more than a decade beyond release, players are discovering new and exciting elements within that incredibly well-fleshed out world.

If I really boil it down to a single element within the Skyrim environments that I personally would love to work on, it's the architecture. The clear Scandinavian inspirations, with influences from Tolkien, Beowulf, and even Dungeons and Dragons sets this particular game apart from any other oepn-world game ever.

The main plot of the Dragonborn, and their nemesis Alduin, the World-Eater, just added to the compelling nature of the game. Which was strange, because you could spend hundreds of hours in the game without having to do a single main quest.

If only to work on the next Elder Scrolls game, Bethesda would be my top choice of companies to work with.

(I've not yet played Starfield; it's on my to-do list).

Blizzard

The only Blizzard game I ever played was Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and its accompanying expansion, The Frozen Throne, which was a very long time ago. I recall those games very vividly, however, because their art, being stylized, wasn't afraid to use colors unlike realistic games, which are constrained to the, well, reality.

All the props and environments were low poly, and from some angles, quite jagged around the edges, but any flaws in the modeling department were well compensated by the superb textures of that time.

I also remember being captivated by the story, large swathes of which I still recall. Arthas slowly being overwhelmed by his own power hungry nature, and eventually the corrupted sword Frostmourne. Thrall's hunt for a place for his exiled people, and Tyrande's search for a way to save hers.

Riot Games

I'd like to work at Riot Games for reasons similar to what I've already discussed with Blizzard. The art style, once again, is stylized which is automatically, instinctively appealing to me, despite the fact that it's the hardest to get right. The explosion of colors is not so vibrant as in Warcraft, but this comes with the bonus that there's no harsh transition between different assets. Characters stand out, but not jarringly so.

Once again, it's the textures that do most of the heavy lifting.

Santa Monica Studios

Realism is not generally what I go for when it comes to games, but God of War has one thing (among many, of course) going for it - mythology, which elevates the art to what I call fantastic realism. I also am deeply interested in the architecture of the various realms like Alfheim, Svartalfheim and Asgard, which speaks to the culture of the various peoples who dwell there.

For this reason alone, I'd like to work for Santa Monica. Where else am I gonna get half-creature, half-environment assets as the one in the render immediately below?

Zenimax

For the same reasons as I would like to work with Bethesda. The Elder Scrolls Online is a fantastic opportunity to further explore the world I miss dearly, Tamriel. I'm also intrigued by the possibilities of creating a beautiful game with the no doubt severe limitations on my polycount and texture size.

Ascendant Studios

Immortals of Aveum comes under the same category of 'fantastic realism', which pushes the limitations of what you can achieve through realistic art despite still adding peculiar elements (architectural and otherwise) to the setting.

Avalanche Software

Without a doubt, Hogwarts Legacy brought me home again. It hit every bit of nostalgia within me, and finally fulfilled my childhood desire to attend the best magical school in fiction. The view of the castle from a distant cliff, lights flickering to life within its myriad windows as darkness approaches is branded into my brain. The - for lack of a better term - magical aspect of Hogsmeade as it's wreathed in snow during winter makes me long for hot chocolate and a blanket, even though it'd be the middle of summer in real life.

From a more grounded-artist perspective, the sheer detail and care that the team at Avalanche Software have put into this game, and specifically Hogwarts - whose secrets I'm still discovering - speaks to their love and adoration for this IP.

Epic

Once again, the combination of low poly modeling and high quality textuyre strikes a perfectly appealing balance in Epic Games' Fortnite. It's not my type of game, but I have to admit, the art style is amazing.

Naughty Dog

Despite not coming under my admittedly rather strict restrictions on game genres and preferred art styles, Naughty Dog's games are incredibly breathtaking. If I absolutely have to work on realistic art, I could do much, much worse than Last of Us and Uncharted.

Respawn

What I've seen of Apex Legends is that, despite being realistic, they break up what I consider the inherent drab-and-dull nature of this art style with hues that they are not afraid of using for the artificial constructs of their world, such as cloth, weapons, characters etc. This is even more obvious in Star Wars: Jedi series, which, of course, has the added benefit of being science fiction.

thatgamecompany

The reason I like this studio's work so much is because they make do with very simple art, hyperfocusing on story and emotion instead. There's no plethora of assets or textures in your face, just very low poly models that only suggest at the shapes and elements in real life without a stray polygon here or there.

For example, a blade of grass would only be a thin, tall plane with a green gradient acting as the texture, which games like Sky believe is all that's needed for the style of games they make. It's the light direction, atmosphere and storytelling that makes them truly stand out.

Sucker Punch Productions

More than the environment art, it's the lighting and overall atmosphere of the game Ghost of Tsushima that captivates me. The architecture of Tsushima Island during the Mongol invasion is singularly unique, and thus stands out.

Hello Games

Despite the fact that No Man's Sky is procedurally generated, I like the fact that it is so very different from other games in this genre. Sci-fi usually hyperfocuses on spaceships, otherworldly weapons etc., but No Man's SKy boldly chose bright colors and vivid detail. This really brings home how alien these worlds truly are.

Obsidian

Outer Worlds manages this odd blend of stylized and realistic very well. According to my - admittedly poor eyesight - the materials are realistic, but the textures teeter on the edge between realism and exaggerated. Plus, once again, they're not afraid to use colors.

Bioware

Bioware games are the reason I'm in this industry in the first place. The company has been failing long before the current layoff crisis plaguing the video game industry, and not least because the games that have come out in recent years no longer have that appeal any more.

Still, I continue to hold out hope that my two favorite universes in any media - books, television, movies or games - Mass Effect and Dragon Age, will continue to thrive under newer hands, and Bioware will once again regain the heights that it once enjoyed. My practical side doubts it, but as I've already mentioned previously, realism can hardly ever be applied to my preferences.

My love for sci-fi and fantasy grew from these two games, and that will never change, even if I never get to experience stories like these again. Despite the obviously non-stylized nature of these art styles, I love them anyway, because they spark my imagination like nothing else ever has, and - I fear - nothing else ever will.