Music has been a large part of video games since developers could put sound into the medium. A few special games let gamers take control of the soundtrack, whether that be letting them put their favorite songs into the game or letting them actually compose music as a mechanic.
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The developers having this feature saves a lot of licensing trouble since they do not have to get permission or pay for the right for players to use their own collection. Maybe the creative aspect will inspire some to pick up real instruments or at least expand their own music collection.
Modern consoles do not have a CD drive, so players could not put their collection onto the system even if they wanted to.Dangerous Driving, a spiritual successor toBurnout, remedies this issue by adding Spotify integration right into the game.
While players can turn on Spotify and listen to ad-free music with a subscription in most games, this option skips one step and makes the use of the streaming service feel more organic. Players just need to put on an early 2000s pop-punk playlist to relive theirBurnout 3glory days.
Grand Theft Auto 3and its two sequels made their home on the PS2 before heading to other consoles and are forever associated with Sony’s second console. However, the Xbox (original) and PC versions added a function the original completely lacked.
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They both allow players to add their own songs to the game and listen to them on the in-game radio. While most players will want to listen to the clever radio chatter made for the game, there will come a time when they will want to listen to their own collection. It might be anachronistic, but it is worth it for giving the players control over the playlist.
AfterRock Band, theGuitar Heroseries decided to expand to feature vocals, drums, and bass as well. It also tried to one-up its competitor by adding a mode where players can create their own songs and track them to play in the game.
It is not the easiest interface to navigate and it does not give the same control as professional audio software, but it is a blast making the hardest songs possible and challenging friends.Rock Bandnever added such a feature, but there are freestyle moments in songs where the game plays notes depending on players' inputs.
The cassette player feels underutilized inMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The audio logs are a great way to dole out story details during gameplay, but there are too few songs available to find to make it feel interesting.
Players can only choose from a handful of classics from the era to listen to or play when the helicopter arrives to evacuateVenom Snake.The PC version fixes this, letting players add their own songs by going into the game’s files. Now they can pick either the most appropriate tune or the most comically unfitting song to play in a warzone.
Dreamsis essentially a game engine sold as a video game. Expanding upon the concepts fromLittle Big Planet, players can create almost any game they desire. The creation tools are very complex, which is both its strength and weakness.
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They are so complex that there are audio tools that allow players to compose their own pieces of music for their creations. Even with just the PS4 controller, players can adjust every note of a tune and change the instruments to their liking. With the collaboration functionality, it means one creator can work on music while another works on another aspect of the game.
The Last of Us Part 2is a stunning journey about revenge through a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It is also filled with poignant, quieter moments that build up the relationships between characters. Some of the more memorablescenes see Ellieplay the guitar, a talent that shows her connection to Joel, the person who taught her the instrument.
Usually, players are tasked with playing specific chords and eventually a cinematic takes over and plays the rest of the song. However, players can still pick up a guitar at certain points and jam around on the instrument using the touchpad. Skilled players can even play other songs with stunning proficiency.
The PS1 had the unique ability to take advantage of people’s CD collections.Monster Ranchergenerated creatures from CDs inserted into the console andVib-Ribbonwas a rhythm game where players could use their CDs to generate levels. The game had its own soundtrack which served as a great tutorial and was catchy in its own right.
After that, it was all about putting some albums from the collection into the PS1 and playing the game using those songs. A re-release on thePS3 via the PlayStation Networkworked in the same way. With CDs having been out of fashion for years already, one wonders if the game ever has a chance of returning.
