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Games that incorporate the music with the gameplay.

This might be cheating because it's a rhythm game, but Audiosurf is my favorite. Audioshield was already posted, which is Audiosurf's creator's newest game.

Generally speaking, I like how some games layer music depending on how well you're doing.

An example of what TC is probably looking for: de Blob. If I recall correctly, different instruments played depending on which color you were painting? Or maybe it was only how much of the town was painted that determined the music. Either way, it did cool things with the music.

Also, kind of but not really: Splatoon's last level.
 
GavinUK86 said:
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You fight well the music ramps up with with every hit and if you break combo the music cuts. The combat has a rhythm to it.
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Best example I can think of. You even need to do rhythm combos. For example, your combo will break if you hit the next button too quickly or slowly IIRC.
 
mrmickfran said:
There are games that like to use music as background noise, there are other games that make the music a part of the gameplay.

Metal Gear Rising's an example of that. All of the boss music is instrumental... getting stronger as the fight goes on, and then you the get boss to it's last phase; and at that point the lyrics kick in, and it's the hypest shit ever.

Zelda games thrive on music incorporation, especially the more recent titles. Skyward Sword takes this up to eleven. In the Bazaar, each shopkeeper has their own version of this theme that plays when you visit each one of their counters. One has an Arabic vibe, another has an industial vibe and so on. And they're all within 10 feet of each other, so you could hear every single theme within 10 seconds. God bless the programmers.

Mario Kart 8 is insane with this. Pick a track, any track. How about Dolphin Shoals? Here's the normal version, now here's the same but now when you're in first place, now here's the shallow water version, the shallow version when you're in first place, now here's the underwater version, now here's the underwater version when you're in first place, finally the final lap version, BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! the final lap version in first place. All this for one track. Needless to say, in Mario Kart 8, the music is the gameplay.

And you guys? What are your examples of games that incorporate the music with the gameplay?
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WoW never noticed you had more drums when you were first :O
 
Another favorite example of mine is in Super Mario Galaxy.

Whenever Mario is flung from a launch star, a harp sound is played along with the melody of the music, getting stronger after each star. Here's an example
 
People already brought up the Ultra Combos in Killer Instinct but the music also changes if you and the opponent stay still for too long.
 
mrmickfran said:
Holy hell, that's on the level of Mario Kart 8, maybe even crazier.
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They definitely put a lot of detail into the sound overall but I really like the music the most. I play with at a 100%, SFX at 70%, and Dialogue at 80%. It really feels great when the music takes over.
 
Portal 2 uses dynamic music that changes depending on player action, and it's amazing, particularly with the different gels.
 
Pokémon Black & White (and their respective sequels) have some interesting examples of tying music to gameplay. In some routes, you'll get added instruments if you're moving. In some towns, if you get closer to someone playing an instrument, you'll hear it louder.

There's tons of examples of this, and they're all listed here:

http://www.serebii.net/black2white2/bgmusic.shtml


In addition, the battle music also changes dynamically if your Pokémon is low in health, or if you're about to win a Gym Leader battle. I really enjoyed how experimental Black & White were with their music.


Kind of a shame that they dropped this feature altogether in Gen VI (although they do let you choose your battle music in Wi-Fi and Maison battles, which is pretty neat).
 
In Monster Hunter, a monster's theme tune doesn't kick in until it actually spots you. And in multi-monster hunts, the more dangerous monster's theme takes precedence. So one might notice a sudden Deviljho interloper by his horror-style theme tune kicking in before actually seeing him yourself. Or for Khezu, he has no theme tune at all because he has no eyes to see you.
 
This moment -- dat music.... shit gets real

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I think Titanfall did this, no? Music changed with the intensity of the battle around you. From being silent if alone, to full blown music in the middle of a fight. Also changed whether you where on foot or in a Titan.

Them's Fightin' Herds will have it too, stage music changes to the dominating player's theme, and gets distorted if they manage a long combo.
 
The oldest case I remember is drums being add to the music if you jump on the back of a Yoshi on Mario World
 
Monkeyball step and roll.

Music layers added every time you clear a stage until you reach the last stage with the final version of the bgm.
 
Freedom Fighters. When that music music starts to hit, you feel like you're actually fighting for something.
 
Very few games handle interactive music better than Monkey Island 2 did way back in 1991. Basically, the game would transition between different arrangements of the same song based on where you walked. The composer wrote literally hundreds of transitions so that the game could switch gears at a moment's notice. Ridiculously impressive stuff.

I'm pretty sure this demonstration is using an old, inaccurate MT32 emulator but at least it works as a demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N41TEcjcvM
 
Aside from dancing games, iconic Mario is hands down the winner. Just think of when you pickup a star, I know you're humming the music right now. How about an underwater world? You're humming again.

Any Mario game from platform to 3D to kart racing and the music elements define events in the game or vice versa. Nintendo are the kings of this interplay and instant recognisability.
 
I love the dynamic music in Xcom 2! During alien turns, the more heroic parts of the music quiet down for a more sinister and secretive version of the song. Makes it all the more satisfying when the heroic music kicks back in as your turn comes around.

I also like the variants of these Mission Completed/Failed music when returning to base, varying from triumphant praise with smiling squadmates to deeply depressing somber notes coinciding with an empty skyranger.
 
I always loved this little detail in Nier where everytime you are at the village, you hear an instrumental music, but when you get near the fountain, the lyrics kicks in because Devola is there, singing and playing the song you are hearing.
 
Collingwood said:
Killer Instinct does it with the Ultra Combos.
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It actually does it with the soundtrack in general. The song enters other different verses as players trade blows, and enters the chorus when a combo is broken. It also has a "footsies" and "comboing" version of the track (varying in intensity) based on what's going on during the fight.

It speeds up into a "finale" phase when one or both players are in 15% (ultra-vulnerable) health, among other things.
 
all metal gears (well I dont really remember the one from psx if it has it) have something like that when you are discovered no? and then slowly calm down depending on the enemy status.
 
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