TOW stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided".
The missidle of the TOW system drags very thin cables behind it. The missile is steered in flight via these wires by the operator, that means, the operator has to use the TOW's sights and point at the target until impact of the missile.

Real life vs Games:

• The TOW fires rockets... it is obvious, but we still want to mention it: rockest are FAST... a lot faster than in games or movies. Watch the videos below to see what we mean with "fast" :).
• In games you just point the TOW launcher to a different position and the rocket flies there, this is how it works in real life too. If the missile misses the target, it cannot fly back, as the warhead doesn't see any light dot from the operator anymore, so it doesn't know where to fly to.