Wing Commander

Wing Commander is one of the games that helped establish the space-combat simulator as a proper cinematic experience rather than merely a collection of dots shooting at other dots. You take the role of a young pilot in the Terran Confederation, flying dangerous missions against the Kilrathi while gradually becoming part of a larger military story. Dogfights are fast, demanding, and wonderfully dramatic, with missiles, lasers, shields, and enemy fighters constantly trying to turn your ship into expensive scrap metal. Between missions, the game develops its characters and storyline, giving your victories more meaning than simply improving a score. The DOS presentation is dated now, naturally, but the ambition remains impressive. Wing Commander made space feel dangerous, personal, and surprisingly cinematic, which is quite an achievement for a game that spent most of its time asking you to shoot cats in spacecraft.