Too many colors isn't so bad there is such style I saw several games in this realistic/pixel-art style
Soft brushes...
What software do you use for creating it?
And did you heard about OGA?
We mostly use Krita. And sometimes use Blender to create 3D models that we then draw in pixel art style, but this is still more of an experimental thing.Oh yeah, we did hear about OpenGameArt and for sure plan to use it in the future!
The 3d models are also valuable on itch by itself