Wing Commander IV is a space combat sim built around full-motion video cutscenes starring professional actors. You fly dogfights in various spacecraft, managing shields, weapons, and targeting while chasing objectives across mission chains. Between sorties, the story unfolds through live-action scenes—unusual for 1996, but it works because the production hired film talent instead of using green developers in front of cameras. You play Colonel Blair, pulled from retirement four years after a galactic war ended. Humanity's facing civil unrest, and command wants its best pilot back. Missions vary: escort runs, interception scrambles, capital ship strikes. The orchestral score shifts with combat intensity. Dialogue trees let you pick responses that shape relationships with your wingmen and influence which faction you ultimately support. If you want space combat where the narrative actually justifies itself, this delivers.
