doubt it has shorelines, though i did see a shoreline entity in the level when i looked at it so maybe hes using that ?

i suggested decal shadows because the previous shots really needed something to break the emptiness of the scene, this newer shot wouldnt need it however

better but i think the fog start should be closer. i think we should be able to see the slight fade of fog on those distant object bt be careful with it though

i dont think theres much more you can do to have this looking better outside the use of shaders, normalmapping and shadows, for now its looks pretty good

[EDIT]

btw, changing the theme of the level to say something more gloomy, like with an overcast sky, would result in you getting away without shadows