The player assumes the role of William Crowe, an American who experiences the various phases of the Pacific War with Japan, beginning with the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941.

When they make it to the Lexington, Crowe gets a new squadron consisting of Cunningham, Murphy, Slater, and commanded by Callahan.

The final mission of the campaign is on February 23, 1945, with the raising of the United States flag on Iwo Jima.

Heroes of the Pacific also offers multiple difficulty levels: Rookie, Pilot, Veteran, and Ace.

Many of the members of the development team previously worked together at Melbourne House, on titles such as Test Drive: Le Mans, Grand Prix Challenge, and KKnD2: Krossfire.