I think this is the game that trumped Elite as top space sim. The presentation was on a new level, and the world felt lived in despite the comically stupid antagonists. The heavy Battlestar Galactica influence certainly helped with the presentation and while the gameplay felt pretty simple, it was also easy to pick up and play, making you feel like an ace pilot more often than not. The concept of the story changing depending on whether you were succeeding or failing missions was also really cool.
The beginning of a legendary series!
WC features some astoundingly-dated graphics, but otherwise compares favorably to classics of the genre like X-Wing and FreeSpace. The dynamic mission structure, where the story of the game fluidly changes based on mission success or failure, is unlike anything I've ever seen outside of the WC franchise. Space sim fans should definitely check it out.