Gearheads of War

Alright guys, this isn't so much a review as it is my impressions and general thoughts. I hadn't seen a general topic on it, so I thought I'd give my fellow rockers a place to spout off.

So far, I'm pretty impressed. The Strat is a huge improvement over the ol' Gibson Xplorer controller. The effects on the killswitch are cool to play around with. I find myself using an echo or the flanger the most, with the occasional wah-wah (mostly for Dani California and Mississippi Queen). The solo buttons close to the body are indeed very useful. Leading up to release I was calling gimmick shenanigans on them, but I've changed my mind. I don't touch them for solo sections, but do a combination of over/under pick during the big ending sections. The overall size of the Strat is major in my book too. I don't feel as if I'm playing my neice's Mickey Mouse ukelaile (sp?) anymore.

Now for the Mic. I feel like the vocals are the best addition to Harmonix's format. It's so much fun to pull some Sebastian Bach mic swings by the cord as your buddy rolls through a guitar solo. I have to say that i feel pretty lame making sure nobody else is around so i can do some solo vocal stuff. Not to mention the fact that it's a little depressing to do so badly at a song you've loved for years. For me, those songs are Detroit Rock City, Creep, and In Bloom (however I have kicked MUCHO ASSO on Black Hole Sun, Say It Ain't So, Mississippi Queen, and ahem Maps) I will say, though that the mic could stand for a little more style. I'll be a typical whiner now by not offering any suggestions as to what, but it's a little "blah". If that's my biggest complaint, it's pretty damn cool in my book.

Now for the part when I get things thrown at me by all of you guys. The drums. I can't stand it. I've tried, I really have. I just can't buy into having fun with it. They seem pretty sturdy, but I still feel like I'm gonna bust the things to bits. Maybe that just makes me a Boomer. Besides that, I just can't get used to the setup and lack of adjustability. Even if I could drop the red pad and flatten it out more like a snare, I'd have tried much harder to enjoy it. I imagine it's the same as a guitar player trying to play Rock Band or any of the GH games, but I wouldn't know.

As far as gameplay goes, I'm having an absolute blast so far. The songs are FAR better than the line up on GHIII (ESPECIALLY with the includion of another Bang Camaro tune. Let's hope for the whole album on DLC!!!). I love the improv for the big endings instead of having all the ridiculousness mapped out to play. The guitar parts aren't as ridiculously hard as GHII so I'm only frustrated to the point of being determined, not quitting.  The lack (thus far) of online multiplayer world tour and just a straight up bass solo tour are my biggest complaints. But with the former of the two rumored to be resolved by XMas, I'm a happy Thuddy.

That's all I've got so far. Anyone else?