Pistol Whip

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,750 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Pistol Whip Game Cover
Pistol Whip is one of the best games on PSVR. The shooting is satisfying, the level design is fantastic, and the music is phenomenal, making the whole experience a heart-pounding joyride through the senses.
Starting at $9.20Buy now
Get on Steam Get on PS Store

"Pistol Whip" is a rhythm-based virtual reality game that combines music with action-packed gunplay. It features community-created mods, as well as story-driven campaigns such as "Smoke & Thunder," set in the Old West, and "2089," a gritty sci-fi experience. The game's Physical FPS gameplay is enhanced by dynamic tracks and dreamscape visuals, making for an immersive and exhilarating experience.

  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,750 reviews
music336 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Pistol Whip combines shooting and rhythm gameplay, making players feel like action heroes in a cinematic experience.
  • The game provides a great workout, especially for the legs, due to the dodging and movement required during gameplay.
  • The developers consistently add free content and updates, enhancing the game's replayability and overall experience.
  • The game has a limited selection of songs, which can lead to repetitiveness over time.
  • The rhythm mechanics are not as intuitive as in other rhythm games, making it difficult for some players to stay on beat.
  • There is currently no support for custom songs or levels, which limits the game's content and variety.
  • music1,148 mentions

    The music in "Pistol Whip" has received a mixed reception, with many players praising its energetic electronic and EDM tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, making them feel like action heroes in a cinematic setting. However, some users express disappointment over the limited song selection, which can lead to repetitiveness, and a desire for more diverse genres or custom song support. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received for its fit with the game's aesthetic, its appeal largely depends on individual music preferences.

    • “The music is catchy, and a decent amount of movement is required for dodging enemy projectiles.”
    • “The music is a mix of various EDM songs (the tracks by Dabin being my personal favorites).”
    • “The combination of music, visuals, and the perfect learning curve (simple to learn, difficult to master) make this the game I recommend to my friends and the one I use to demonstrate VR.”
    • “The music is not my flavor, at all, and it was one of the main reasons I did not originally get the game.”
    • “The music selection is very limited and gets boring real quick, even with harder difficulties and other modifications; I just feel as if I've seen it all before and easily get sick and tired of it all.”
    • “Unfortunately, the biggest downside is the bland music.”
  • gameplay226 mentions

    The gameplay of this game is widely praised for its fun, engaging mechanics that blend shooting and rhythm elements, providing a unique and immersive experience. Players appreciate the variety of modifiers and weapons that allow for customization and replayability, while the energetic music enhances the overall experience. Despite some critiques regarding the rhythm integration and content depth, the core gameplay is described as addictive, physically engaging, and visually impressive, making it a standout title in the VR genre.

    • “Great graphics and music, and the gameplay is incredibly fun with unique levels.”
    • “The game has gotten better over the years with more experimental levels and the dev team attempting new genres and gameplay elements.”
    • “Gameplay is as addictive as it is straightforward, making it accessible for players of all skill levels.”
    • “The gameplay is very repetitive and the music 75 percent of the time is just awful.”
    • “The worse thing, in my opinion, about this rhythm game is that the rhythm isn't exactly front and center and feels like it was just tacked on to the scoring system rather than being something core to the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay was shallow and unfulfilling.”
  • graphics137 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stylish, low-poly art style and vibrant aesthetics, which enhance the immersive experience of the gameplay. Many reviewers appreciate the unique visual themes that accompany each track, creating a dynamic and engaging environment. However, some users noted occasional graphical errors and a lack of detailed textures, suggesting that while the visuals are entertaining and fit the game's rhythm-based action, they may not be technically impressive.

    • “As an artist, I give 10/10 for visuals.”
    • “Graphically, it's gorgeous, and it manages to still look unique while sharing the same low-poly art style as a number of other Unity games.”
    • “The aesthetics of this game are so unique and dynamic; the game breathes with every beat and every shot you take.”
    • “Game's got a few graphical errors on my end such as random assets either loading too early or not being loaded at all and random white rectangles appearing and my entire right eye being unable to render the game.”
    • “The graphics aren't impressive and the polycount is quite low.”
    • “They really could have been expressive, creative & crazy with the visuals but just stick to the same thing which is ok for a short while but becomes boring pretty soon.”
  • story104 mentions

    The game's story aspect has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the unique narratives tied to each level and the engaging campaign modes, while others feel the overall story is minimal or basic. Many users enjoy the energetic music and art style that complement the gameplay, but express a desire for more extensive story content and deeper integration within the VR experience. Overall, the addition of story modes has enhanced the game's appeal, making it a notable experience for VR enthusiasts.

    • “Each level is uniquely crafted to its individual song and story.”
    • “This game has story campaigns, daily 'bounties', epic boss battles, fantastic art, great music, and oozing style.”
    • “The introduction of the story mode was brilliant!”
    • “☑️ This game has no story.”
    • “Not much story.”
    • “I wish there was more of a story, and a bit more as far as customization or even really multiplayer - but all in all I am happy with this purchase.”
  • replayability66 mentions

    Overall, the game offers high replayability primarily due to its diverse modifiers and the challenge of mastering songs for high scores, despite a limited number of levels and lack of custom content. Many players appreciate the added depth from bonus modifiers and leaderboards, which enhance the experience and encourage repeated play. However, some users express concerns about the game's replayability being less robust compared to other titles like Beat Saber, particularly due to the absence of custom maps and a more limited soundtrack.

    • “The replayability of this game is phenomenal.”
    • “The flexibility of the game with modifiers is astounding and gives a ton of replay value.”
    • “Its short but the replay value is super high (seriously I played one level 6 times I enjoyed it so much and I just bought this game).”
    • “Unlike Beat Saber (sorry to compare, I know some people hate it, but whatever), there are no custom maps, which is the main replayability of games like this for me.”
    • “Limited replayability with the lack of custom songs and few enjoyable standard songs.”
    • “The only negative at this time is that there needs to be more available scenes to play for even better replay value.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its fantastic performance and visuals, while others report significant issues such as constant performance drops, stuttering, and overall poor optimization that renders the game unplayable for them. Despite some users experiencing smooth gameplay, many express frustration over technical problems, particularly on the Steam version, indicating a need for further optimization efforts from the developers.

    • “Fantastic performance, amazing visuals and insane tracks.”
    • “Extremely well optimized, beautiful and fun.”
    • “Great performance, great music, good looking graphics.”
    • “However, for me, it has constant performance drops and desyncing. It might just be my index, but I doubt it as it runs perfectly and really smooth on other games.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game is just not optimized, and though I meet the minimum specs, it is unplayable, so I can't even rate the game.”
    • “Having some technical issues with the Steam version; it's pretty badly optimized.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever references, such as the potential use of Tobey Maguire's scream, and the amusing experiences players have while engaging with the gameplay, which often leads to laughter and unexpected physical reactions. Players appreciate the lighthearted moments, including funny songs and quirky interactions, contributing to an overall entertaining experience.

    • “There's been few games that have had my heart pumping, smiling and laughing at how much this game makes you feel like John Wick.”
    • “Had me screaming, laughing, and contorting my body to dodge the onslaught of bullets.”
    • “I let my parents try it and my dad punched my mom quite funny (no harm!) :D”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both tedious and necessary, often involving repetitive actions like spamming triggers and facing numerous enemies. While some enjoy the challenge of leaderboard competition and the grind for better scores, others feel that the extensive levels and contracts can lead to a monotonous experience, especially after completing initial content. Overall, the grind is seen as a double-edged sword, providing both engagement and frustration.

    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
    • “So you press the trigger a lot, and after a while it gets really tedious; it's like I'm almost spamming the thing, and so many enemies spawn at the same time.”
    • “2 campaigns with 5 levels each plus another 20 levels beyond that (22 if you count the encore levels for each campaign), daily, weekly, and monthly contracts, and just the good ol' high score grind (currently grinding out S+ for every level - except Death, can't even get S on that level and I'm in the top 100 of the leaderboard, forget that level).”
    • “Fun as all get out, but if you're decently built, you can get through all ten (yes, 10) songs in a couple of hours and then you're stuck just grinding out higher difficulties.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant bugs and crashes, while others have experienced smooth performance after troubleshooting. Issues such as unresponsive musical elements and visual glitches have been noted, but several players have praised the game's overall stability and graphics when properly configured.

    • “After wiping my computer clean and updating the RAM to twice the recommended amount, the game runs great now.”
    • “It looks wonderful and runs great on my Rift S.”
    • “Runs great with nice graphics, lots of options, and is challenging so far.”
    • “Super buggy and keeps crashing; it's a frustrating experience.”
    • “The glitch effect sometimes makes the walls quite unclear to read, or even makes them visually go through your face while dodging.”
    • “The musical aspect is poorly conveyed and buggy; the beat fails to recognize some shots as landing at the right moment, and by some, I mean as many as half in any given song.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    Players report that "Revolt 2089" evokes strong emotional responses, likening the experience to iconic action heroes like Robocop, Neo, and John Wick, which enhances their sense of empowerment and excitement. The game is described as an action-packed emotional roller coaster that keeps players engaged and feeling like a badass throughout. However, some users also mention feeling unwell while playing, indicating that the intensity of the experience can be overwhelming for certain individuals.

    • “Totally hooked, the campaigns are an action-loaded emotional roller coaster.”
    • “This game made me feel like John Wick.”
    • “A cool part about it too is how it makes you feel like a badass constantly.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the enjoyable soundtracks that contribute significantly to its unique vibe. The variety of tracks, including 18 plus 5 in the campaign, enhances the overall experience and customization options, making it a standout feature.

    • “The atmosphere is great, and the soundtracks are a lot of fun.”
    • “Great game! I love the songs, customization, and atmosphere.”
    • “The game offers a bunch of tracks (18, I think, plus 5 in the campaign) that contribute to its unique atmosphere and vibe.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is perceived negatively, with comparisons to cash grabs like Superhot and Beat Saber, suggesting that it may prioritize profit over quality. Additionally, the reviewer expresses frustration with the presence of ads, indicating a preference for ad-free experiences.

    • “The monetization feels exploitative, as it seems designed to squeeze every penny from players rather than enhance the gaming experience.”
    • “It’s frustrating to see a game that could be great bogged down by aggressive monetization tactics that prioritize profit over player enjoyment.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overwhelming and disrupt the flow of gameplay, making it feel more like a money-making scheme than a fun experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

84% average critic score

Buy Pistol Whip

Play time

8hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
2hMain story
7hCompletionist
3-37hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 13 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games