Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger is a space combat simulator featuring a blend of live-action cutscenes and gameplay missions. Players assume the role of Captain Christopher Blair, making strategic choices regarding ship selection, armament, and wingman assignments. The game emphasizes narrative through extensive cutscenes, enhancing the experience with the use of CD technology. Players face the risk of losing wingmen permanently during combat.
Wing Commander is a space combat simulator intercut with live action cutscenes. Gameplay involves completing missions and destroying enemy craft, Wing commander III dispensed with the issuing of medals after such missions and relied more on cutscenes to drive the story along making much more use of CD technology. As the man giving the orders, Blair often gets to choose what ship he will fly, what missiles it will carry, and what wingman (wingmen) he will take with him. As in Wing Commander, some wingmen can be killed permanently in combat. Blair's own call sign remained customizable