The palette is definitely part of it. Is this supposed to be night? If so it can work, otherwise it needs a major brightness and hue check. If you don't mind me getting a bit romantic, I think more detail can be more love. Of course there is the tight and clean pixel pushing which has it's own sort of affection, but some of the best worlds are created with detail oriented obsession. Cracks in walls with ivy growing out, steps that have seen the history of thousands of travelers, bricks replaced with one's of different origin. Sometimes simplicity, simply can't grab you in the same way.
In painting, the Alla Prima ( one session) painters are usually known for bravura brushwork, distilling information into the most essential brush strokes, often capturing the effects of light with stunning confidence; yet somehow, many never amount to the best indirect paintings. Ones with many layers, catching the artist at different times of day, different mindsets and moods. Where the artist has searched and replaced, with hints of indecision peeking through the final thoughts. Encasing within them a history that simply can't be held in a 2 or 4 hour effort.
I struggle with this a lot in my fine art stuff. Sometimes simple statements and striking compositions seem like the "truth". Sometimes labors of love and fervent searching or obsession seem the same.
This is to say in my opinion, a good bit of cleanliness will have to go for the sake of history, grit, and textural identity- which I think are some qualities that make FE tiles so good. Right now I can't tell what everything is made of. I'm sure some of that is the WIP status, but as you have it presented now, all of the wall has a mostly matte feel. You are describing different forms, but they may as well be all spray-painted flat gray and lost any identity. The cobblestone?esque tiles that create a dock probably break through this the most, and stand out currently as the most rendered. A revamp is always a good time to abolish the few pitfalls a game with good graphics has; you could stand to break the grid a bit more in this area.
Sorry if this has been useless, heh. I just know what you're feeling and remember being lost, wishing for some outside help. Of course with stuff like this most of the problem solving will have to come from within. Can epiphanies occur at faster rates if we race towards them head on, or will they always stay out of reach until they deem us lucky and worthy? If not exciting it will be humbling.