A game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by the developers design space.
When I made Spectrum Break, that was my chilling out time, in the zone, like in a trance.
Whether intentionally or not, that atmosphere made its way to the game and comes across when you play it.
You can't know a designer by their work, but the vibe they are in while in their design space can be seen in their games.
It's why so many AAA's feel soulless, just like a grunt employee feels.