Making 3D look like 2D is a challenge in itself, but it can be done really well, as proven by Pat Marconett, who created some nice cinematic shots in Blender for his upcoming short film.
"I wanted an opening shot that would pull the viewer into the environment. I’ve been doing a lot of experimentation using Blender in a 2D pipeline to maintain that 2D illustration feel and still be able to seamlessly transition with 2D elements & backgrounds," he shared on LinkedIn.
Hand-painted lighting helped with this cozy feeling, he admitted. In the video above, you can see a little more about the development of the scene. If you enjoy it, you should see Marconett's other works.