I think you're right, that the question isn't "is this game photorealistic?", it's "in what contexts can this game achieve photorealism?" For a long time, the

I think you're right, that the question isn't "is this game photorealistic?", it's "in what contexts can this game achieve photorealism?" For a long time, the game industry focused on higher resolution, more polygons, and higher framerates. I think now maybe there's more emphasis on textures, lighting, and physics. The trouble is, if you don't have a physically-accurate global illumination solution or physically-correct reflection, refraction, and shadows, there are many contexts in which "photorealism" is unattainable. For instance: shining a flashlight around a dark room, seeing your reflection in a shiny car, turning lights on and off and opening and closing doors in a dark building at night.