On 8/12/2018 at 6:17 PM, JoeJ said:

Yes, but there is also another reason: Retro gaming.

That's true, I do think.

On 8/12/2018 at 6:17 PM, JoeJ said:

I think the root of all evil is that production costs have exploded.

It's not helpful, I do fear.

Still, I think that a significant reason that indies might struggle to replicate the realism of AAA games comes down to the sheer amount of work involved in making realistic assets.

I do think that improvements in tools can help with this, indeed.

Asset stores can be helpful, too--but that narrows the field of aesthetic choices to what's available in the store, further constrained by finding assets that both depict whatever is being sought and that together form a cohesive art-style instead of clashing. Finally, the use of assets in multiple projects can result in their becoming familiar, which may hurt immersion. (And that's presuming that the indie in question is in a position to pay for all of their assets, of course.)