"When we think of science fiction flight simulator games, it's natural for gamers to talk about the LucasArts Star Wars titles from the 1990s. From X-Wing to TIE Fighter and beyond, the Star Wars canon dominated a lot of pew-pew sci-fi space dogfight action in the '90s, but three years before LucasArtsdropped X-Wing, another, original space opera franchise was born, exclusively in the gaming arena. Today, even among the biggest sci-fi fans,"
"Created by Chris Roberts for the developer Origin, Wing Commander's lore was loosely based on Larry Niven's "Known Space" science fiction novels and stories, in which humankind is involved in an intergalactic war with a feline alien species called the Kzinti. Wing Commander takes place in the year 2654, and swaps out the Kzinti for the Kilrathi. The basic setup is in space,"
"As the name suggests, Wing Commander is a spaceflight, dogfight game, in which you take various starfighters into action against Kilrathi ships, large and small. But, in addition to that incredibly detailed (and difficult!) aspect of the game, Wing Commander also has an immersive role-playing aspect, too, in which you get to interact with other crew members and fellow pilots on the Tiger's Claw, choosing different responses in casual conversations, which can cause branches to the game's overall narrative."
Wing Commander debuted on September 26, 1990, as an original space opera franchise focused on starfighter combat and narrative immersion. Created by Chris Roberts for Origin, the game drew loose inspiration from Larry Niven's Known Space and set its war in 2654 between humans and the Kilrathi. Players assume the role of a rookie pilot aboard the carrier Tiger's Claw. The game combined detailed, challenging spaceflight dogfighting with an RPG-like social layer of crew interactions and conversational choices that could branch the storyline. Later series entries, notably Wing Commander III and IV, expanded those role-playing cut-scenes into larger cinematic sequences.
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