Just a reminder to fellow gamers who have played the game, please use "spoilers" if you are posting anything revealing so as not to spoil it for those who havent played.
No freezing or overheating for me. Installed the game on hardisk, not sure if it has any bearing.
Yes, the outfit comes into play after you've moved up to plain clothes police officer. Some outfits give you better gun handling and resistance, some just look spiffy and have no "special effects".
About 17% progress after 3.5 hours of core gameplay and all side missions (hidden cars, street crimes, etc.).
However, some issues I've noticed thus far:
(1) serious framerate tearing issues (not sure if that's technically correct term) at the start of the game
(2) in some parts of the game, as you finish questioning witnesses, the background music comes on and overrides the witness' dialogue/speech. so only her mouth moves but cannot hear what she said.
(3) when driving, you can press X to get your partner to guide you to your destination. however, sometimes pressing X to get guidance disrupts the dialogue between u and your partner during pre-scripted conversation (i.e. it ruins the story telling).
All in all, it's a good game although somewhat linear thus far.