Pistol Whip Reviews

Pistol Whip is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Kyle Hilliard
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Nov 8, 2019

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

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Polygon
Top Critic
Unscored
Nov 7, 2019

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.

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75 / 100
Nov 30, 2020

Pistol Whip 2089 has a very short campaing with 5 levels (or songs), that offer around 30 minutes, cutscenes included. It feels short, and that joins the new gameplay elements, that also feel short (it plays almost the same than Pistol Whip). But, as the great arcades from the 80s, it has some memorable moments than you won't forget easily.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

84 / 100
Aug 24, 2020

Pistol Whip turns our weapon into a musical instrument so we can enjoy an incredible techno OST while shooting and dodging bullets in John Wick style.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Nov 7, 2019

PC-VR headset owners should buy. Quest owners might want to wait for a performance patch.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2020

Pistol Whip is one of the best action games available in VR, and the 2089 campaign - while incredibly short - is a great addition.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jul 30, 2020

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.

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90 / 100
Mar 4, 2023

Pistol Whip is super cool, and the best way to play it is on PSVR2. Not only do you get the most optimized experience on PSVR2 in performance, you also have a plethora of ways to play the game, with thirty tracks to enjoy. It's a perfect pick for something both unique and familiar for VR enthusiasts picking up a PSVR2.

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GamingTrend
Ron Burke
Top Critic
90 / 100
Aug 24, 2021

With the fresh new campaign, and the brand new Styles system, Smoke & Thunder gives us a ton of new ways to play. The soundtrack now has a whopping 28 tracks and scenes, and is every bit Cloudhead Games at their very best. If you don't already have Pistol Whip in your library, what are you waiting for? This is what VR is made for!

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Aug 1, 20

t will make a solid addition to anyone's PlayStation VR library for sure.

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90 / 100
Nov 16, 2019

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.

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Nov 30, 2020

A brand-new story-based campaign mode sets the entire Pistol Whip 2089 experience into motion. New enemies, new weapons, new environments, and even new gameplay mechanics round off the best update we've yet seen for one of the best VR games you can buy.

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9 / 10
Mar 10, 2023

Not that the title should be a hard sell to begin with! With its colourful environments and masterful level design, there’s very little to poke holes at here. The gunplay functions brilliantly on its own, as does the rhythm gameplay. So, when these two disparate elements harmoniously converge, the product ends up supremely easy to recommend.

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10 / 10.0
Feb 16, 2023

Pistol Whip on PSVR2 is nothing less than a masterpiece of sensory excess, exhilaration and expertly paced challenge. An essential PSVR2 launch title that crafts a masterful mixture of visceral excess, classic arcade score chasing, a bountiful content offering and effortless style, there's only one score that will do for Pistol Whip's PSVR2 debut and it happens to rhyme with 'ten'. Oops.

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JVL
Nyam Hazz
Top Critic
17 / 20
Dec 29, 2020

There is no need to say, Pistol Whip is an effective game that puts our physical commitment to work in the most beautiful way. With its colorful and clean environments and its soundtrack well paced, it knows how to quickly embark us in its universe.

Review in French | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2020

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.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10
Aug 5, 2020

Pistol Whip is a transcendent experience. This brilliant rails shooter has the trappings of a rhythm game which helps to make an already sublime experience stand out that much further. With a vibrant world and a variety of tracks to test your mettle with, the game offers a solid package right out of the gate. And that's to say nothing of the upcoming content that will further expand what Pistol Whip has to offer.

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10 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2020

Pistol Whip is a triumph of game design. Rather than trying to wedge a bunch of mechanics onto a platform that doesn't welcome them, Pistol Whip instead focuses on what makes VR fun – color, sound, and motion. This is a game that connects players with the developers' intentions through its simple interface, leaving the player sweaty, inspired, and triumphant. Masterpieces come in all forms – and Pistol Whip qualifies.

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9.5 / 10.0
Aug 7, 2020

Altogether, Pistol Whip is likely to be the PlayStation VR game of the year. It's simple concept works incredibly well and has few faults. If you've ever wanted to be John Wick, or any other badass gun-wielding gangster for that matter, this is the game for you. Modifiers and multiple difficulties extend the life of the game even further, although this may not be enough for some. Once free content updates and extra DLC tracks arrive, though, there'll be plenty of content to enjoy.

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8 / 10
Aug 25, 2020

It’s definitely an essential for those that love their PSVR devices. So, why not chuck that headset on, get shooting, blasting, dodging and sweating?

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