The VR industry is undoubtedly home to some very creative titles. Games like Beat Saber take advantage of the unique immersion of a VR headset by focusing on rhythm. With a simple but engaging premise, these titles manage to sidestep some of the inherent drawbacks of developing in a VR space. Pistol Whip, another VR rhythm game, takes a similar approach. While Beat Saber relies on a more abstract design, Pistol Whip takes a more violent approach to the rhythm genre. It came out in 2019 and has had an illustrious history of post-launch support since. It’s available for most VR headsets on the market today. If you want to give this rhythm-based shootout a try, here’s what you need to know.
Pistol Whip Premise
Like the aforementioned Beat Saber, Pistol Whip focuses on giving the player a specific type of weapon which they must wield to the beat. Unlike lightsabers, however, Pistol Whip is a firearm-focused experience. Each level is populated with a variety of enemies which you must gun down according to the rhythm of the song. You move forward automatically through each level but you must dodge enemy gunfire and various obstacles, all of which also appear based on the rhythm of the song. By accurately following the beat of the song, you can string together a stylish action sequence worthy of any big budget blockbuster.
Pistol Whip Main Characters
Pistol Whip is not a story-based game, and as such it has no characters to list. If character can be found anywhere in the game, it can certainly be found in the soundtrack. The title’s repertoire of songs forms the lifeblood of every single level. Many new tracks have been added in post-launch updates and DLC, but here’s every song on the game’s official soundtrack, courtesy of Spotify. CONTENT WARNING: Some of these songs contain explicit material.
- Black Magic by Lektrique & Sam Lamar
- The Grave feat. Gabriella Hook – Original Mix by Apashe, Black Tiger Sex Machine
- R U Afraid by HVDES
- Revelations by HVDES
- Lilith – Sullivan King Remix by Dabin, Apashe, MADI, Sullivan King
- Trap Requiem – Original Mix by Apashe, Tha Trickaz
- Replicants by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Apashe
- Download the Future by Black Tiger Sex Machine
- Death feat. Lektrique by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Lektrique
- The Fall by Dabin
- The High Priestess by Sam Lamar, CMOR
- Akuma by HVDES
- Full Throttle by Lektrique, Midnight CVLT
- Dark Skies by Draeden
- Religion – Original Mix by Black Tiger Sex Machine, Lektrique
- Letting Go by EMBRZ
- Embers feat. Jill Harris by Dabin, Jill Harris
- Another Day by Dabin, Outwild, Nevve
- Uprising by Magic Sword
- Arbiter by Draeden
- Strange Creatures by Black Tiger Sex Machine
- Say Mas by Processor
- Sword of Truth (Pistol Whip Edit) by Magic Sword
- The Way Home by Magic Sword
- Short Change Hero by The Heavy
- Not Dead Yet by Devora
- Well Wasted by Black Pistol Fire
- Pretty Waste by BONES UK
- Fist Fight by DEVORA
- Shred by Lektrique
- Nobody Wants You by Black Tiger Sex Machine
- Good News by Apashe
- Majesty by Apashe, Wasiu
- Work by Apashe, Vo Williams
- Halloween Party by Odd Chap
- Kicking Up Dirt – Tom ESC Remix by The Electric Swing Circus, Tom ESC
- My Mind (feat. Alanna Lyes) by Duke Skellington, Alanna Lyes
Pistol Whip Titles In The Series
This game is entirely standalone. Since its initial release, it has found longevity through a rich history of content updates. These updates are provided free of charge and add new songs, weapons, and levels for fans to experience. Pistol Whip has received steady updates since it first launched in 2019, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. While many of these updates are too small to be considered on par with major releases, there have been a few that added substantial new content. Two particular updates come to mind: 2089 and Smoke & Thunder are both cinematic campaigns, offering cutscenes and stories to connect the gunslinging levels. Here’s a full timeline of releases and major updates for Pistol Whip.
- Pistol Whip (2019)
- Pistol Whip: Full Throttle (2020)
- Pistol Whip: 2089 (2020)
- Pistol Whip: Smoke & Thunder (2021)
Pistol Whip Cheat Codes
While Pistol Whip does not support any official cheat codes, there is still a way for you to bend the game. In arcade mode, you can eventually unlock the Styles Menu by simply beating a few levels. Styles present a list of ways for you to tweak the game to your heart’s content. You can accordingly use these styles to make the game easier or harder to suit your fancy and skill level. Here is a list of styles you can unlock and apply to your Pistol Whip runs.
- Bulletproof: Invincibility mode.
- Bottomless: No need to reload.
- Unobstructed: Removes obstacle pillars.
- Threatless: Prevents enemies from shooting at you.
- One Shot: Unlocks one hit kills.
- Big Head: Turns on Big Head Mode for enemies.
- Low Velocity: Makes incoming bullets slower.
- Reinforced: Makes armor regeneration faster and lets you sustain more damage.
- Reckless: Removes your armor.
- Deadeye: Removes auto aim.
- Scavenger: Lets you reload by melee attacking an enemy.
- Disorder: Shuffles enemy placement.
- Vengeance: Turns on ricocheting bullets.
- Heavies: Gives enemies reinforced armor that takes twice as many bullets.
- Headhunter: Makes enemies invulnerable unless you headshot them.
- Bullet Hell: Increases the frequency of incoming enemy fire.
- High Velocity: Makes incoming bullets faster.
Additionally, here is a list of achievements you can unlock by playing Pistol Whip.
- Baby Driver: Reload on beat 100 times.
- Warmed Up: Finish any scene on Easy while playing Classic style.
- Repaired: Pistol whip an enemy while you have no armor.
- Parabellum: Complete the basic tutorial.
- Thinkin’ I’m Back: Kill 1,000 enemies on beat.
- Hitman: Finish any scene on normal while playing Classic style.
- Melee Master: Pistol whip ten or more enemies on a single run while playing Classic style.
- Super: Earn an S Rank or higher in any scene.
- Civilized: Finish any scene without taking damage while playing Classic style.
- Not Very Good At Retiring: Finish any scene with no armor remaining while playing Classic style.
- Globetrotter: Travel a total of 15 kilometers.
- Synchronized: Empty your entire clip without missing a beat while playing Classic style.
- Grandmaster: Earn 5,000,000 points.
- Mmm… Pistol Whip: Finish any scene with at least three modifiers active.
- Baba Yaga: Finish any scene on Hard while playing Classic style.
- Gun Kata: Finish any scene on Hard while using dual pistols.
- Tapered: Earn an accuracy rating of 90% or higher in any scene while playing Classic style.
- Pistol Whip: Pistol whip 1,000 enemies.
- Parley: Pistol whip every enemy on the bridge in the R U Afraid scene.
- Take The Night Off: Complete the Death scene without harming any of the dancers.
- Perfectionist: Kill all enemies without missing a shot while playing Classic style.
- Sharpshooter: Finish any scene on Hard while using Proper Legacy style.
- Old Boy: Finish High Priestess with Brawler style while playing on Hard.
- True Pacifist: Finish any scene without hitting an enemy while playing Classic style.
- You’re Breathtaking!: Earn all other achievements.
Pistol Whip FAQ
How much is Pistol Whip? Pistol Whip is currently selling for $30. It has received one price increase since release when the aforementioned Smoke & Thunder update came out. Luckily, everyone who had already purchased the cheaper version still received the new content at no additional cost. With the continual stream of new content flowing into Pistol Whip every year, one small price increase is a largely forgivable offense, and many fans agree the game is still well worth picking up.
Are there mods for Pistol Whip? There are indeed. The Pistol Mix update, released earlier this year, allows fans to create their own Pistol Whip levels and share them around the world. Unfortunately, this tool is not available for PSVR players. It’s currently only available on Quest and PC VR headsets.