Is it just me or was something lost in translation?
Don't get me wrong I LOVED Guitar Hero 1, 2, and 3. There's just not that feel of accuracy that there was in Guitar Hero 1 and 2 present in this game. I think I read that the timing was adjusted (a little wider frame to hit a note) and that definitely makes it easier for people (like myself) who are close to being great, but not quite able to hit the quick sections. While this is a nice addition due to the large step up in difficulty, it's just different and I don't know how to explain it. With that said, the new Battle Mode is a great addition. While it is frustrating to encounter what basically is a minigame i the career, I love playing it with my friends and giving the the Difficulty up (from hard to expert) at the start of Through the Fire and Flames :) The new cutscenes and improved graphics also are an intersting twist on the standard Guitar Hero experience but there's still that litttle something missing.
THE PERIPHERAL
Definitely the best guitar yet. The Les Paul looks wonderful with my fair share of stickers on it. When I first heard that the neck would be removable, I was skeptical, but it snaps in nicely and definietly is easy enough to take apart to store in a much smaller place than my X-Plorer. I haven't bought any faceplates yet but the custom Fall Out Boy one looks pretty sweet and I think Activision definitely figured out how to milk it's fans money with this.
THE SOUNDTRACK
Dissapointing. The bonus tracks are amazing (FCPREMIX, Through the Fire and Flames, and My Curse) but the normal list is a bummer. With duds such as Hit Me With You Best Shot, and Black Magic Woman in the game I barely want to play it through on Expert after beating hard. That said, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Welcome to the Jungle, Miss Murder and a few other standouts are enough to keep you going. One more thing is that someone had the horrible idea to make some songs unabvailable unles you play the co-op campaign. this idea is bad enough to take off points for itself but I'll spare it just because even without Suck My Kiss and Sabotage, this still is a decent soundtrack.
OVERALL
Overall, this is definitely not the game you want if you're a newcomer to the series. Go with GH2 first, and get used to it because this game is just gooing to frustrate beginners as you try to make your way through hard. This game definitely has long lasting appeal but Im not sure if GUitar Hero 2 would have lasted much much longer if It also had online play.