Zack Snyder recently teased that his upcoming film Rebel Moon will receive a massive video game adaptation, which brings to mind one of the coolest ‘90s video game trends: movie tie-in video games. Some of the most iconic games of that decade were adaptations of blockbuster movies, such as GoldenEye 007 for the N64. However, the trend started to fade in the '00s after the release of plenty of less-than-desirable games, but the Rebel Moon RPG could bring this trend back.

Movie tie-in games have a long history in the industry, tracing their legacy back as early as the ‘70s. The output in this sub-genre is so prolific that there are hundreds of movie tie-in video games. Tie-in games were used as a marketing strategy to boost ticket sales for the movies they adapted. This took off in the ‘80s with games in franchises such as Star Wars. The trend continued into the ‘90s, which resulted in some incredibly memorable games, like Disney’s Aladdin, Blade Runner, and the beloved GoldenEye 007. Now, Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon may see the return of great movie tie-in games.

Movie-Tie In Video Games Were All Over The 2000s

A promotional image from the Spider-Man 2002 movie tie-in game featuring Spider-Man and the Green Goblin.

The 2000s also saw the release of tons of movie tie-in games. For example, the Spider-Man games based on Sam Raimi’s trilogy are some of the most influential games ever made. In particular, 2004’s Spider-Man 2 was a smash hit with a legacy of inspiring games released today, such as Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and beyond. However, despite the success of the Spider-Man movie tie-in games, they were not the norm. The reality is that the vast majority of movie tie-in games were not good, and they became increasingly difficult to justify as a marketing tool with the increases in the budgets required to produce the games. Hopefully, the Rebel Moon RPG will see a return to good, quality movie tie-in video games.

Teased Rebel Moon RPG Could Bring Back MovieTie-In Video Games

Sofia boutella as kora from zack snyder's rebel moon on netflix

Despite the soured reputation of movie tie-in games, some have been released in recent years, but fewer than before. One of the most significant differences with these recent titles is that they have more freedom to tell their own story. Marvel’s Spider-Man, for example, focuses on a version of Peter Parker that is entirely separate from the movie counterparts and establishes a unique, independent universe. Its success resulted in a Miles Morales spin-off and an upcoming sequel. Still, with movie-inspired suits and release dates close to the movies, it had the benefit of driving movie ticket sales like the tie-in games of yesteryear.

Admittedly, Marvel’s Spider-Man isn’t a movie tie-in game in the strictest sense, especially compared to titles like GoldenEye 007 that directly adapt the movie’s plot. However, this is where the Rebel Moon game adaptation reported on by IGN can change the playing field. It’s possible that the game could follow the old trend used in the ‘90s and ‘00s to market the movie but updated to fit the times. Again, though, it’s best to keep expectations low for the Rebel Moon game adaptation. The little info Snyder teased about the game is all that’s known about the project, so anything is possible at the moment, including the game being canceled.

Source: Nintendo/YouTube, Zack Snyder/IGN