What Puggo said is how I feel. The visuals are obviously technically superior, but without proper accompanying emotional elements they don't leave lasting impressions.
What Mrebo is saying explains the crowded, noisy nature of the PT. You don't focus on a Star Destroyer and gaze in awe of that image like in the OT. Rather, in the PT it's like your eyes are scrambling and trying to take in all the information on the screen.
When I look at PT environments and visuals, I think about how hard people worked to bring these various intricate details to life.
When I look at OT environments and visuals, I'm thinking about the story/scene/characters. The imagery becomes connected to those feelings.
McQuarrie brought the OT environments to life with his designs, whereas Lucas used the amazing work of various artists to formulate 2.5 hour toy advertisements.