Overall Age of Empires 3 DE looks better. Destruction animations are best in original Age of Empires 3. Building architecture is good in both games Aoe3 & Aoe4. But to be honest graphics niveau of Aoe3 DE was the minimum I expected for Age of Empires 4.
It’s weird how they made one of the best looking RTS remasters, but their flagship Aoe4 looks like a mediocre game at best. Okay, 2 different developers and other engines, but they obviously would’ve been able to make better graphics. Imo they overfocussed on readability and heard too much on the council. They should’ve give us more information and gameplay in the last months and years.
Also they saw how much the community likes detailed graphics. The most positive feedback I heard about the DE’s was the graphic. Especially Aoe1 DE would’ve never been played by so many people, if graphics weren’t much improved. Original game was already dead and yeah, Aoe1 DE is dead now again, but probably because of bad pathfinding and lack of support.