Many of the ARR zones look and feel more planted in the world when compared to the HW and SB zones, which all of them are squares cut out and ill fitting together as a larger whole. The backdrops in ARR zones are nicer and helps make a sense of scale seeing the different parts of the world through the different maps (Pharos being visible throughout most of La Noscea is greates examble). None of the newer areas are connected in that sense. Graphically i will say the HW were a step back featuring lower resolutions and more empty areas. Stormblood has generally better textures and more filled settlements, although none of the settlements feel lived in as you cannot enter most houses.

One reason i the ARR areas generally looks better is in my opinion the lack of flying. When those zones where created the devs could make the backdrops with all the optical illusions to make the zones aroundlaying areas seem massive. In the newer zones this is harder since flying eliminates this possibility. Yanxia is the one exception though, the unreachable farmlands to the south really does make the region seem larger than the area we visit.