One thing I really like about the first one, that isn't present in the other two, is that double layer at the character level.
Makes the scene feel like it has more depth.
I imagine the character to walk behind the darker trees, but in front of the lighter ones.
In the other two, there is just one layer at the character level, which makes it look more like a cutout, and makes the whole seem more flat.
Also the out-of-focus effect on the foreground and background seems a lot more balanced in the first one, contributing to the depth illusion
Ahh yes, thats a very good point. That double layer is present throughout, but wasnt at the time of taking these screenshots. I'll post some updates in not too long