On the subject of dynamic music in games.
 

Basically, what experience have you had with game music that reacts to the gameplay? What games used it? Did it work well? How did it change?

AO and AE used it well, like when you drop in front of a Scrab it switches to chase music. The real masterstroke was making a drumbeat every time the Scrab jumped.

Defcon tied the music to the death toll, making it get louder and more powerful as more people died.

Morrowind, bless it, had fantastic music, but the combat music and the system for making it change was just awful. It goes on for ages after you flee from something, and when the music changes and the landscape is empty it just makes you feel frustrated because you know you've got to deal with something that you can't see.

Then of course there's Audiosurf, which put the whole process into reverse.

Rez.
Rez is the goddamn emperor of dynamic music, but Splosion Man did it really well, too.

MO did it brilliantly! I loved how the music builds up as more muds/fuzzles follow you till you get the full tune, and same thing as AO/AE when you're being chased

Final Fantasy I, for just a bunch of beeps the music is very well done and placed.

Also, both of the left 4 dead's music director works with the A.I. director beautifully in order to place a dramatic siren of a song as the horde come towards you, or a subtle background that builds up suspense as you walk through deserted streets.

Now this I haven't noticed. Will look out for it.

Beyond Good and Evil. Clear from the very first fight as the gameplay goes to slow-motion with only a slow, mournful-sounding chorus to accompany it and then switches back to the upbeat, rave-esque tune from before as the game play goes back to normal time. They do that again with Jade taking a leap of faith over a glass ceiling or something, but I don't remember what they did musically exactly. The beginning of the game, including the first fight, is one of my favrorite video game moments.

Animal Crossing had pretty appropriate tunes for each hour of the day. The music playing in each of your neighbors' houses fit their interior design as well. There was also music for every special event held within the town, which you would hear upon entering the area of festivities.

This would have been alot cooler if the music to MO wasn't already so unimpressive.

AO/AE did it pretty well considering it's time. The programmers did a fine job in having the music distinguish between rising tension and certain death. I'm all for it. The use of it in horror games can sometimes be a bit of a pisser though as the musical cues and stingers can give away an action.

I like the Sonic the Hedgehog music. Chaos angel was a masterpiece and really fit the evil, corrupted scene, Green Hill was upbeat and kept you going, Sky Sanctuary was...dare I say soaring?

I'm not sure that that really counts as dynamic music; if anything, the gameplay is linked to the music rather than the other way around. I mean, the slow-motion section always happens at the same point in the music track, but if you are really good and you kill the monster early, it doesn't happen at all.

But, that said, it is an awesome and very atmospheric moment.

Left 4 Dead does a good job of it. Music really sets the theme most of the time and can induce serious panic when you're being overrun sometimes.

Good as the music was, it reacts in no way to the gameplay other than going Super. Apart from that it's just music assigned to each stage.

no game has done this effectively. every attempt i've ever heard has been poor. it's quite a hard thing to do, see

One of the worst dymanic music is in Morrowind and Oblivion.

All that orchestra for a mudcrab? Are you serious? I fart at mudcrabs and they die.

Jeeeze.

Except for Rez, right? Yeah, except for Rez.

Shadow of the Colossus kinda had it. Kinda. I liked it in that. Also L4D.

Don't forget the rats. I keep hearing the rats theme whenever I face real life dangers such as missing the train or running out of filters for the coffee machine.


I've always admired the dynamic music in most RARE games. Just take a trip around Showdown Town in Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and listen as the music changes instruments and style to reflect different parts of the town, without ever dropping out of sync. Nearly all of their platform games have done this since the golden N64 days. It's awesome!

Off the top of my head I can only think of a couple:

Jak 2:
When you encounter a large group of enemies the music becomes fast paced.

Fur Fighters Viggo's revenge:
The level music is different depending on which character you are playing as and changes when you swap characters.

mortal kombat armageddon's konquest mode
Resident Evil 4 (spine freezing!!)
Total Overdose
and of course MO , and unlike most of u guys , i think it was better than AO and AE , it had put me in the mood more than AO and AE , and it also has more levels (not missions , i mean the levels of the music)

Final Destination from Tales of Symphonia really had me, But I can't deny that the music for Malus (Shadow of the Colossus: 16th Colossus) is way to fucking epic.