Pistol Whip Critic Reviews

Pistol Whip’s multiple difficulties and modifiers like Deadeye and Dual-wield add depth to a game that’s more addictive and satisfying than Beat Saber. This is neither fully a shooter nor completely a rhythm game yet it ticks off both boxes and does so exceptionally quickly in a stylish package. The 10 launch songs, all in the same general musical style, are a bit limiting. Pistol Whip, though, is already the game that brings me back to my VR headset again and again, and I expect that to be the case for months to come. I’ll be in the group waiting for more official scenes to arrive, trying to finish a few more songs in Deadeye mode on hard, showing the game to others and hoping someone figures out how to add custom maps and songs.

Pistol Whip is insanely fun, downright hectic, and excellent for parties. While the seven levels won’t last very long, the soundtrack and compelling rhythmic gameplay carry this one to stratospheric heights. Embrace your gun kata, and pick this up.

Pistol Whip is an excellent and original VR Rhythm FPS, now even more unmissable with the free 2089 DLC. Great on PC VR, but even better wireless on Oculus Quest or Quest 2.

It's hard to think of a better example of what VR does so well than Pistol Whip. An immensely enjoyable soundtrack that directly feeds into the core gameplay loop and some wonderfully vibrant visuals all add together with addictive gameplay to make this a fantastic experience. For a great workout it's perfect but with the modifiers allowing more relaxed gameplay, it also can appeal to those who just want some escapism. 2089 adds a new layer on top with an actual narrative tying together the gameplay, adding to what is already a pretty great package. The fact that all the content was added as free updates also goes to show not all VR games need to be extortionately priced.

Beat Saber meets John Wick: Intense music action in VR with rather typical shortcomings in terms of modes and content.

Pistol Whip is huge amounts of fun even on the easiest difficulty setting, suitable for VR players no matter their skill level. Like any videogame of this type there is an overly repetitive value to the gameplay, and with only 10 scenes to begin with, it could’ve done with a few more; especially when it comes to music variety. Even so, Pistol Whip can still be heartily recommended for all you VR fans.

Pistol Whip is a VR highlight with fast-paced rhythm shooting, an exciting soundtrack, and an enticingly abstract art style.

By combining shooting, dodging, and rhythm, Pistol Whip gets you moving in a unique and compelling way. The game is at its best when it leads you into a strong sense of flow where dodging and shooting fuse into a cohesive dance. It isn't without occasional frustration—having your flow broken by seemingly unfair deaths can be annoying. A generous set of modifiers and options allow you to tweak the game in significant ways, especially the Dual Wield mode which changes (for the better, in my opinion) the way the game feels. Pistol Whip has undoubtedly strong fundamentals, though it seems like there's untapped potential waiting to be unlocked with better level mapping.

Pistol Whip is a music/action VR shooter built from recognizable elements that combine into a unique whole, and when it all comes together as planned it leaves the player feeling like an invincible gun-god dancing through the bullets.

Spectacular and intense, Pistol Whip is a clever mix of action and rhythm and delivers a solid VR experience, despite a certain lack of artistic variety.

It's delightful stuff in full flow, and while there's not much to it - just ten levels are available at launch , each lasting only a few minutes - there's significant replay value in committing level and spawn layouts to memory.

There’s something to be said for a stripped down to basics game experience, without too many complications or intricacies that get in the way of the fun. Pistol Whip is entertaining and another of the growing list of successful arguments for VR as a near-staple for gamers. As a music game, it doesn’t have the depth or addictive appeal of Beat Saber. It can be fun and is one of the better action/arcade games in the VR space, but given its limited playlist and mechanics, I suspect it doesn’t have the long-term appeal of other, more fully-featured games.

Pistol Whip is one of the most intense, immediately gratifying action experiences of 2019, in VR or out, with a skill ceiling that’s much higher than it first appears.

Pistol Whip could be great. Until then, it's mighty good and arguably the year's best new VR action game. After all, 2019 has mostly been the year where people finally bought headsets and discovered 2018's killer games. For the VR faithful starving for something fresh, this is it.