There are also occasional levels through which the player must play with a specific character. In many levels, there will be times where the brothers will have to directly help one another, such as Thomas helping Ray to reach a high platform, or Ray kicking down a door for Thomas. Most levels are played through in the same manner, irrespective of which character is chosen, with the only difference being that of style. Occasionally, however, the brothers will separate within a level, and, as such, the level design will be different depending on which character the player is using.
Controlling each character is broadly similar. Each can move forward and backward, can strafe left and right, can run, walk, crouch, and jump. Each shares an identical HUD, with the same information available to the player; the location of the mission objective and the location of the other character. At certain times, the HUD will also contain other information, such as the location of a shop or an indication that the player character needs help from his brother. When the player is reloading or selecting a weapon, their available weaponry, ammo count and cash are also displayed. Both characters can wield six shooters, shotguns, and rifles. Both characters can also interact with certain objects, such as chairs, oil lamps, ammo and dropped weaponry.
The main gameplay differences between the two characters is that Ray is stronger and slower than Thomas; he cannot jump as high, but he can kick heavy obstacles out of his way and take more damage from enemy fire. He cannot aim as far as Thomas, but he is faster with six shooters, which he can dual wield, and is quicker when aiming at nearby enemies. Thomas can move faster than Ray, and can also grip onto ledges and pull himself up. He has a better long range aim than Ray, but is slower when using six shooters, which he can only single wield, and when aiming at nearby enemies. Ray can use two weapons unavailable to Thomas – a dismountable gatling gun and throwable dynamite. Thomas can use three weapons Ray cannot – a lasso, a bow and arrow and throwing knives. Weapons common to both characters include various types of six shooters, rifles and shotguns. Both characters can also can start fires by throwing or shooting oil lamps. They are also both capable of using chairs in hand-to-hand combat.
Thomas' use of the lasso requires the player to point the crosshairs at an appropriate spot, and then move the analog stick or mouse in a circular motion, mimicking the action of using an actual lasso. Once sufficient speed has been reached, the lasso will be thrown automatically. When he uses the bow and arrow, the player has the option of going into slow motion for more precise aiming, or firing in normal speed.
There are three different types of slow motion attacks in the game, called "Concentration mode." Ray and Thomas' concentrations modes are charged by killing enemies, with headshots charging their meters faster than body shots. However, once the player has filled their concentration meter, they have only sixty seconds in which to activate it, or it empties by half, and they must recharge it. In Ray's mode, once slow motion begins, Ray is free to rotate 360 degrees from a fixed position. If the crosshairs pass over an enemy, that enemy will be "tagged". Up to twelve enemies in total can be tagged (or less than twelve enemies can be tagged multiple times, up to a total of twelve tags) during concentration mode, but the amount of time the player has to do so is limited (indicated by an on-screen meter). Once the time is up, Ray fires at all tagged enemies with perfect accuracy. In Thomas' concentration mode, the player does not need to manually aim. Instead, the crosshairs automatically moves from visible enemy to visible enemy, pausing on each one momentarily. As the crosshairs moves, the player must hold down a button permanently, and when the crosshairs pause, the player must pull back on the analog stick or move the mouse backwards to fire at the target (mimicking the action of real-life fanning). The third type of concentration mode is dual concentration, which happens automatically at certain points of the game, always at doorways. Ray and Thomas simultaneously burst into the room, and the game goes into slow motion. Two targeting reticles appear on either side of the screen, with each moving towards the center. The player cannot control the movement of either reticle, or move their character during concentration mode, but they can control the positioning of the screen, allowing them to maneuver the character's vision so as to position the reticles over an enemy. They can also shoot independently from either their left or right gun, or both simultaneously.
As with the first game, duels are also common. During duels, the character and the enemy will slowly circle one another, with the player needing to keep the character's hand as close to his gun as possible by moving the left analog stick/mouse. However, they cannot touch their gun, as if they do, their hand is automatically moved away. At the same time, the player needs to keep the opponent lined up in the centre of the screen by using the right analog stick or keyboard. When the time comes to draw, a bell rings, and the player has only a very brief window in which to draw, aim and fire.
