Wing Commander (1990)
Wing Commander is a 1990 simulation video game made by Origin Systems.
The Terran Confederation is losing. The Kilrathi, a warrior species of alien felines, have pressed humanity back across the frontier, and the carrier TCS Tiger's Claw is holding what ground remains. You are a rookie pilot assigned to that ship, working through a branching campaign of dogfights and escort runs. Wing Commander's departure in 1990 was its presentation: mission briefings with barked orders, a crew full of pilots with names and grudges, branching story outcomes tied to your performance. It treated the space combat simulator as a vehicle for cinematic storytelling at a scale PC games had not yet attempted.
Quick answers
What is Wing Commander about?
The Terran Confederation is losing. The Kilrathi, a warrior species of alien felines, have pressed humanity back across the frontier, and the carrier TCS Tiger's Claw is holding what ground remains. You are a rookie pilot assigned to that ship, working through a branching campaign of dogfights and escort runs. Wing Commander's departure in 1990 was its presentation: mission briefings with barked orders, a crew full of pilots with names and grudges, branching story outcomes tied to your performance. It treated the space combat simulator as a vehicle for cinematic storytelling at a scale PC games had not yet attempted.
When was Wing Commander released?
Wing Commander was released on 26 September 1990.
Who made Wing Commander?
Wing Commander was made by Origin Systems.
Similar games
Wing Commander in our writing
- Companion guide: Origin Systems: We Create Worlds
A few thoughts on Wing Commander
FTL: Faster Than Light is the compressed modern heir: a one-ship crew surviving a hostile galaxy, where every decision in the heat of combat carries lasting consequences. For a space adventure with the same narrative investment in crew dynamics, Mass Effect 2 stretches Wing Commander's squad storytelling into a full 30-hour arc.