In 2011, L.A. Noire took detective games to a new level. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, developers Team Bondi, and Rockstar Games went through an exhaustive process to ensure everything about 'Tinseltown' during that era was correct and as immersive as it could be, even using color swatches from the era to get a feel for the predominant palettes of the time. People rant and rave about how accurate the building locations in Grand Theft Auto 5 are to their real-life counterparts, but L.A. Noire really captured what 1940s Los Angeles felt and looked like.

In a behind-the-scenes look on Rockstar's website, Production Designer Simon Wood said, "We created 'Production Bibles' which are like production design style guides for all the locations in the game. The bibles have floorplans, material, dressing, graphics and signage, lighting details, and any other reference images that are needed to create the locations in the game. We made over 140 of them altogether". Wood and everyone else went to great lengths to ensure the world of the game's main protagonist Cole Phelps felt as authentic as it could be.

Before any writing was done, Wood designed a prop list of everything that was around that time. From the biggest piece of 1940s-era furniture to everyday products. But the real magic of the game came down to the gameplay and being able to read people's faces while interrogating them. The game used MotionScan technology which made everyone's faces extremely expressive, and it was the most important thing in the game.

Cole interrogating Tiernan about the murder of Evelyn.

You had to really pay attention to every clue in the game, and not just every word. Every verbal and physical tick, every flicker of the eye; if you wanted to crack the case, then you had to be sharp and on top of your game. To this day, looking at Phelps' notepad and choosing which line of questioning to use really pulls you into these intense interview encounters.

The James Tiernan interview is the one that really sticks out. Tiernan is a person of interest in the murder case of Evelyn Summers. A former lover of Summers, Tiernan wakes up after being blackout drunk to be told by another man that he in fact killed Summers. It's a compelling performance of confusion and anger, and thanks to the technology you can see him try to cast doubt by rolling his eyes when you do not believe what he is saying at the beginning of the interview.

As the case goes on, Tiernan begins to breaking down and question whether he did kill Evelyn when he was blackout drunk. The thing is, you don't really know if he did it, but can manipulate the interrogation to the point where he believes that's what happened. It's a scary insight into the psychologically manipulative side of interrogation, and testament to the power the MotionScan technology that you see him go through this tortuous emotional rollercoaster. If you didn't interrogate suspects well, that led to you getting chewed out by the captains, and being able to actually see their faces of disappointment and anger really does stick with you.

Making a bad charge or performing poorly in an interview and interrogation carries a huge burden. You get regulated to street duty, and the worse you do the worse things get in the city as the real killer(s) are still out on the loose. You want to do better but a piece of you dies or is mired in anger with every perp who leaves the interview room at the LAPD headquarters without being convicted. There are actual consequences if you do your job poorly.

Phelps taking in the daily briefing.

Over ten years ago, Rockstar was were able to scan people's faces so well they could accurately show how facial features and skin move over muscle and bone on your head. It wasn't perfect, but it was far ahead of its time, and this many years on they could finally get the formula just right. Greenlight the sequel Rockstar, and take us back to the days of hot and heady streets of 1940s L.A.