Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger is a space combat simulator for PlayStation featuring live action cinematics. Players assume the role of pilot Christopher Blair, making mission-critical decisions including ship selection and weaponry. The game emphasizes narrative through extensive cutscenes and allows for the permanent loss of certain wingmen, enhancing its strategic complexity.
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