Music In Video Games

So I was in one of those moods where I just wanna take everything I listen to and recreate scenes from Fahrenheit 451. I often play video games on mute and listen to music instead, but that's getting so difficult nowadays. Before it was just about gameplay; it didn't matter what the graphics looked like, as long as it was satisfying to get the spiny blue mammal from point A to point B while collecting enough rings to do a killer magic trick.

The reason I reference Sonic is this: I was actually playing the original today. It got me thinking; why the hell is it fun? What compels me to continue? There's no problem-solving involved, no choices, hardly any skill. Go here. Okay, did that. Great. Oh, next level. Go here. Avoid holes and bad guys and the giant spikes. Good. Now go here. Repeat. Game over. But I still played the ever-loving crap out of it. Why?

The music of Sonic is really nothing to be proud of. Mindless 16-bit melodies spread paper-thin over tinny drum beats tweaked to the breaking point for no reason other than to instill a feeling of slight urgency in the listener. Hence the mute. But games now are ridiculous. I'm a fan of sports games, because (follow me, here) I like sports. The bad thing, though, about liking sports is that a lot of other people like sports, and I tend not to like what a lot of other people like. Call me elitist* but it's just the way of the world. So in all modern sports games, there are countless tracks of licensed popular music. And honestly, save for a few, are 16-bit melodies spread blah blah blah see above. I don't know if it's the circular tendencies of popular trends, but if you take away the angry black guy or the whiny mygirlfriendjustdumpedthecrapoutofme white guy, what do you have? Sonic the Hedgehog.

Now, I'm not saying that music is bad, per se, just uninspired. I can think of several games with non-licensed original tracks that are just as tedious. Anything from Japan, for instance. And no, I'm not lying. Need proof? Dynasty Warriors 1-6. I rest my case. I honestly don't remember anything from those games but a wildly distorted Chinese history and a perpetuating guitar riff that will make an infant's head collapse with its self-indulgence. It would make Eddie Van Halen either smile or implode.

So's I got to thinking again; are there any games with good, original music? And when I say "good", I don't mean easily ignorable so when you think back on the gaming experience you can't think of anything bad to say about it. I mean it had a significant role in the overall atmosphere of the game. Music-based games like Rock Band / Guitar Hero do not count, obviously. And neither does Halo, in my opinion. That sound you are hearing right now when I mentioned it? Yeah, that's not music, that's three notes of ambient noise.

I'll pose it to readers: What games fit the above description?

* I'll answer.