Absolutely not just you. I HATE the shift to "ambient music" over a composed soundtrack. I think it happened along side the APIs to make it easy, like the DirectSound (at least I 'think' such a system showed up around the DX9 times? maybe later for one that worked more automagically) auto-composition stuff that was well over probably two decades ago by now. You just give the API a few instruments and some basic composition instructions for each 'tone' of gameplay, shift that 'tone' around as the game gets exciting/dull/etc, and it composes the soundtrack on the fly.

Of course that's greatly simplifying it, but the effect is the same: a 'neat' sountrack that usually 'fits' the game well, and transitions very smoothly when done right... but it's SO FUCKING BORING most of the time!! Most games that use such a system compose the most basic crap that you can ignore. Sure, it makes the game less static, and less silent, but fuck me, I'd take chiptunes over most of that crap...

Some games actually compose good music for such systems, and give neat transitions/etc for it to work with, but most just make bland trash that blends easily, but most are so damn forgettable.

Of course there are plenty of newer games with great soundtracks, but there are so many more with ambient trash.

The Zelda effect. Of course, things like this were prevalent before Breath of the Wild, just as open world games were. But there was a definite uptick in both since 2017.

Do you have any examples?

Compared to what came before, “Newer” games span a vast range of genres and styles, including retro games that probably have what you’re looking for.

I have yet to experience the phenomenon you’re referring to, I’m rarely putting on my own music or turning off in-game music.

A bumpin’ soundtrack can be just as immersive as ambiance, what ‘fits’ really depends on the game.

Mewgenics has a great soundtrack!

I feel like RPGs are still better about having good composed soundtracks. I'm playing Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous yet again, for example, and it has some great and varied music, even going so far as to have a different leitmotif for each mythic path (sort of an uber-class and story branch in one).

Arc Raiders is not quiet. Every game there's some man child screaming out "IM FRIENDLY BRO DONT SHOOOOOT!!"

I don't see it. I would notice becsuse I prefer it Dark Souls style; no music anywhere except where it would really punch things up a notch like the title screen, the hub area and during a boss fight.

Even Elden Ring has normal BGM and it's fucking weird compared to DS and BB.

Could you maybe have turned on a "streamer" mode by mistake? That setting basically turns the music off in a lot of games; especially ones using liscenced tracks.