@TheDankestMofo asks: With Cole Phelps' law-abiding occupation, how will the free-roam mechanic compare to GTA and RDR?
JB: L.A. Noire is designed very differently, not only from Grand Theft Auto but also from any other game. It's built around the concept of cases, and each case is a self-contained unit, like an episode of a cop show. The game is designed to be a crime thriller, really making you feel like you're a detective pursuing and solving cases. So you don’t begin cases from a mission marker on a map like GTA or RDR; you begin inside each case or by accessing it from the "Cases" menu.
So while there isn't "free roam" in the game along the lines of those games, the world is open to traverse from location to location. And, there are some hidden items scattered around the world to find and collect on the way, including classic film reels, landmarks, and rare vehicles. You’ll have to use your investigative skills, though. Finding everything will yield XPs to unlock intuition points and unlock an achievement/trophy, and progress will be trackable at the Rockstar Games Social Club.
You will also be able to tackle unassigned street crime cases around the city. These will come in over your radio while you’re on a major case or will be discoverable as you travel. These include things like chasing down a purse snatcher, thwarting a robbery in progress, talking a suicide jumper safely off a ledge, and lots more. That said, free-form anarchy is not something a good detective is rewarded for--running over a pedestrian while on a case or causing public damage or harm will lower your end-of-case rating. And, a detective who pulled out his weapon any time other than in the line of duty would not be on the force for long