At that time, computer graphics was often a choice between tricks or nothing.

You could say it's still true, a lot of graphics in AAA console/PC games could be called fake same way. Precomputed physics and such. That subsurface scattering? Fake. Soft shadows? Fake. Fluid dynamics? Fake.

Although, Amiga could have rendered that in real time too. Just two bitplanes and a smallish area.