Games on the Gear VR

VR Karts: Sprint
Protocol Zero

Shooting Showdown 2
Free

This is one of the more enjoyable games on the Gear VR. Think of it as a shooting range with the trackpad or a separate controller as the trigger of your gun.

Aiming is simple. Either use a controller, or simply look at the target to aim. I looked at the target and used the controller just to shoot.

Naturally, the game is not that easy. An aiming reticle will appear to show the area where the shot can land, so a player needs to adjust his aim by shifting his head.

The different shooting ranges have practice and versus modes. Beating another player in versus mode wins you gold bars, which you can use to upgrade your firearms or to buy new ones.

VR Karts: Sprint
$4.99

The idea of an immersive, first-person view lends itself well to driving games. Instead of peering at the screen for a route map or trying to anticipate turns, players can now keep their eyes up front and watch out for upcoming bends on the road.

As this is not a Formula 1 type of racing game; the controls are simple. Accelerate clear of the pack and you can pick up speed boosts along the way, as well as shields and mines to slow down your opponents.

If you attempt short cuts by going off track, the screen dims and your kart slows to a crawl. Keep an eye on your side mirrors to prevent your rivals from overtaking you from behind.

The graphics are simple and smooth, and do not cause much motion sickness. Alas, this game is not that popular - in several online races, I found that mine was the only race kart and so I was the undisputed champion.

Protocol Zero
$4.99

Stealth video games, in which characters sneak around quietly to complete objectives, are common now, but one can cheat by shifting the in-game camera's perspective to get a bird's eye view of an area.

In Protocol Zero, players can see only what is in front of them. Instead of being free to roam, they can move only to pre-determined checkpoints on the ground and must turn their heads to see what is around them.

A bad guy can be dispatched with a gun, but only if no one spots the dead body lying on the ground, so shoot only when no one else is looking.

And if you run out of places to sneak around in, just look around you. A checkpoint marker might pop up right within your field of vision.

The game itself is not difficult, but the act of actual exploration is now set to become a bigger element in this genre.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 24, 2015, with the headline Games on the Gear VR. Subscribe