I think he is trying to emulate the rpg maker default assets which are non-pixels.
The two things to keep in mind here are the obvious differentiation between the top plane and side plane, as well as the smooth transition between the two. You can notice on things such as the brick tiles that there is a clear difference in color between the two planes and, the two planes feel connected in the transition. Each brick feels like an individual piece that can freely rotate and move around, and is fitted into the tile shape.