Now I do realize that this is definitely an "ideal scenario" type scene where the composition is fantastic, and the lighting was setup just perfectly to hit the armor like that, but I do have to wonder if we'll be able to reproduce the same shot or, as you say, something better, in that same area. I have my doubts.
This is just the perspective of someone that's been excited about The Witcher 3 since the day it was announced. I'm not "out to get the game." I just find myself more impressed with older media, and I don't think it's unrealistic or unfair to attribute that to optimization efforts (this shit does happen).
To be clear, I think it's entirely possible that certain elements of the game have been downgraded. This is a normal part of the development process. Some things get improved, some things get downgraded and some things get changed for artistic or gameplay reasons but it's more of a lateral change.
I'm nearly certain that when we get our hands on the final game we'll find certain elements in places that can legitimately be considered to have been downgraded. But we'll almost certainly find things that have been improved as well.
My main point is that, based on the evidence we have so far, there simply isn't evidence of a downgrade. But who knows?...maybe that evidence will turn up in the next trailer or some future gameplay footage or in the game itself. Right now, though, every area we have been able to compare between the old VGX/SoD trailers and the newer footage has revealed the newer version to look just as good, if not improved.
I don't think you are out to get the game. You seem to be legitimately excited about the game and you're comments seem balanced overall. I do think, though, that there are a few people here with an agenda. Whether it's because they are big fans of some other game and don't want this game to surpass it, or because they screamed loudly about downgrades earlier and now are too prideful to admit that they were wrong, I don't know.
As far as that screenshot you posted, I don't see anything in the composition of that shot that would make it impossible to reproduce in the final game. The one thing that might throw some people off, though, is that they moved the camera further away from the character in the newer builds. The closer camera definitely looks more "cinematic" and impressive for screenshots. I think this camera position change has more than a little to do with some people's subjective preference for the earlier screenshots and videos.