The winter sport of biathlon is accurately modeled in RTL Biathlon 2009, a video game simulator. Skiing and shooting are most of this virtual recreation, just like sports. During the skiing portions of the game, the player is responsible for guiding the athlete in the right direction while also monitoring his stamina. If the power bar is too low, the athlete will become slower, and if it is too high, he will become fatigued. The power bar is located in the center of the screen and is filled by holding down the allocated button. This translates to continuously pressing the button to maintain the highest possible value. The user must aim at moving targets while the cursor shakes to progress through the shooting sequences. He can also hold his breath for a brief period to stabilize his aim.
Within the Career mode, the player can invest points into one of four categories, each affecting the athlete’s capabilities. He can increase these stats even higher after winning titles. New to this installment are superpowers that the player can select at a particular time in the game. When these are active, they significantly boost a stat for a limited amount of time. For instance, “mountain skiing” will increase the athlete’s power when skiing uphill. You can choose to use these once for each race. There are a total of 15 courses that have received partial licensing.
