Ski and shoot in this free biathlon sim

NGL BIATHLON is a free-to-play simulation from Nordic Games Lab. This sports game lets you try how it feels to compete for a biathlon event, a sporting event that combines skiing and rifle shooting. You get to experience breathtaking scenery, realistic game models and animation, and a challenge worthy of an Olympics-level event.

Its unique premise is based on a lesser-known Olympics sport makes NGL BIATHLON a combination of Ski Challenge 14 and Skeet. Olympics. Furthermore, playing this biathlon sim will make you want to include it in the next Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game.

Bringing attention to biathlon

For those unfamiliar, biathlon is a racing competition where competitors race down a cross-country skiing trail divided by shooting rounds. Usually, missed shots are counted as extra time or distance — and the winner is the one with the shortest time to complete the course. NGL BIATHLON captures the thrill of this by letting you experience everything from the uphill hike to the final lap of the race.

Developers behind the game make the effort to make the game look realistic at first glance. Its varying camera angles will make you appreciate small details. Also, while it’s generally a winter sport, the game offers winter and summer sporting versions. However, there are a few physics and environmental mechanics not included, which decreases realism — the effect of strong winds on skiing and firing accuracy is a great example.

Of course, the game is quite limited since it’s in active development. There are only two events and one track for each, which limits its replayability. Still, it allows you to try out different strategies for gameplay, or you can just ram into the other participants and see if it’ll get you anywhere. The difficulty of the game also increases, with late-game events being too challenging.

For all sports game fans

If you’re a fan of the competitive spirit unique to sports, then NGL BIATHLON is worth a shot. Though it remains in active development, it has shown commitment to visual realism through its set pieces and the details available to its skiers-shooters. There are a few limitations in terms of content and physics but still, it does a great job of bringing attention to biathlon. Highly recommended.