Biathlon 2006: Go for Gold

Biathlon 2006: Go for Gold is another installment in a unique biathlon simulation series. As the release date coincided with the Winter Olympics in Turin, this edition is special – no wonder, there can hardly be better time for games about winter sports. Apart from standard cosmetic enhancements and a handful of innovations, this is the first game in the series also released on PlayStation 2.

Just as in the previous parts, the strongest point of Go for Gold is the career mode, in which you create your own athlete, manage their finances, equipment, and physical fitness, and of course compete in races, gain experience, and win desired fame and fortune. The gameplay was interestingly expanded as compared to the last year edition, featuring extra options and lots of fun for biathlon enthusiasts and their families. More busy players may be more interested in the other play mode, popular Arcade, in which you can play a single quick race, adjusting the difficulty to your skills and preferences. Just as last year, you can play together with your family and friends on one PC – here, probably the most popular is the Buddygames – a series of fast mini-games for biathlon fans. What is important, a key factor for shooting is the contestant’s fatigue – logically, the more you tire out on the run the harder it is later to shoot and hit targets without missing. Sometimes it is best to save your strengths, especially if you are leading anyway – penalty loops for missing a target may quickly negate your hard-won advantage or even move you to the bottom of the score list.

In terms of technicalities, the next installment of Biathlon, as usually in sport game series, is mostly based on the series’ previous achievements. Engine improvements include enhanced animations of contestants and crowd reactions. Also, the weather and light effects as well as dynamic shading were tweaked. You can admire beautiful winter landscapes, but there is also an option of playing in the summer. In this variety, you take off skis and pick up a bow instead of a rifle. A perfect solution for players bored of winter freezes or simply interested in different variantions of biathlon.

Last updated on 25 June 2015