Call of Juarez is a first-person Wild West shooter set in a fictional town called Hope, where a young man named Billy Candle flees after being beaten by his father. He becomes obsessed with finding a great treasure buried near the city border of Juarez and returns to his birth village to visit his mother, only to find himself at the center of a murder investigation.
Players take turns controlling either Billy or Ray McCall, Billy's uncle who was once a fearsome gunslinger but now a reverend. The game features dual-wielding revolvers, shotguns, winchesters, and rifles with scope, as well as special abilities like citing the Bible to stun enemies. Each character has unique skills and playstyles, with Billy being younger and more athletic, while Ray is older and uses his fists and a protective vest.
The gameplay involves sneaking, shooting, and using cover to avoid enemies, who respond to movement, sound, and light. The game features a time-limited concentration mode similar to Max Payne's "bullet time," allowing players to take out multiple enemies at once. Missions are set in the same locations for both characters but with different paths and outcomes.
The playing style is also different, with Ray moving around all guns blazing and Billy needing to sneak around and hide in shadows. The story takes the characters through villages, mines, train robberies, and one-on-one duels based on reflexes. Compared to other first-person shooters of its time, Call of Juarez features a linear mission structure similar to Dead Man's Hand.
Players can interact with objects in the environment, such as picking up and moving them around to gain an advantage or build structures. A compass helps players navigate the map, while health is replenished through drinks and ammo is collected from crates or dead enemies. Players can choose to exchange weapons regularly due to the need for reloading.
The multiplayer mode features online play against up to 31 other players in various modes, including deathmatch and team deathmatch. The Xbox 360 version includes achievements, bonus missions, and duel challenges.