10 Small Details Video Games Still Can’t Get Right
3. Mirror Reflections
One of my earliest gaming memories involves playing Duke Nukem: Time to Kill when I was far too young for it, and hitting the interact button in front of a mirror so Duke could spout off some one-liners.
However, for a while I wondered whether I simply dreamt that happening, because in the years since, games have completely forgotten how to implement realistic mirrors. Though you occasionally find a title here and there that has accurate reflections, a lot of the time mirrors will be conveniently smashed or dirtied.
Now, there is a reason for this. Having an accurate reflection requires quite a lot of computational power, because the game essentially needs to render the world twice and match it up with the movement of the camera, which can divert resources away from more pressing matters.
Still, the fact that some games pull it off and others just pretend they exist in an alternate reality where mirrors don't work isn't exactly a great compromise.