There are two ways of walk faster than normal in this game
- crouch+jump, jump
- crouch+jump, Change character, crouch+jump
Based on the speed address the first method is slower because when Richter is falling on the ground, He'll lose speed till reach to 0 and to the ground. First dash value is 60 to 50 more or less, second dash is 70>0 Changing characters you won't lose speed as much as second dash from Richter and the dash speed for maria starts with 70 also, making a better choice and easier because you can skip some parts without stopping, since when you dash with method 1 Richter will go up and sometimes hit some mobs. The timing is very strict but easy when you learn. You need to wait exact 16 frames to change character, Making easy to apply it, just awkward if you're playing on real console or with same layout as the console.
You'll always have to walk with Richter, since he walks faster than Maria, but Maria drops faster making better to fall in parts of some stages like Legion's and Mummy's one. Other thing that you can take advantage, when you're falling you can change the character before reaching to the ground canceling the fall animation, also falling from high places you can keep any side pressed and Richter will roll.
Richter's Whip has a very unique mechanic in this game, It makes you fall faster after doing dash+jump and uppercuts, Making better for some parts, you can also jump to cancel the uppercut move which is better since you don't stop after you fall on the ground, but depends the place you're applying and the condition. When you wanna go safe, Richter's Whip is always the best option. Other good way of using his Whip is when you do a dash+jump you can change directions after using the whip, making a great move to fall in places that you need to fall zig zag, etc.. You also cand hold the whip to make extra damage, but only useful on a very specific mob in Medusa's Portrait.
Maria has HUGE issue when she uses pigeons too fast, will eat inputs making sometimes painful to kill Astarte, since you'll want to do a full jump and the game won't read it making you die sometimes. The best way to avoid that is doing a dash and then a jump. You'll always want to keep Richter equipped with the book because the stack glitch (it happens when you hits simultaneously with 4 different weapons). For this glitch as visual cue i wait the Bible to turn around 270 degrees and then i throw Maria's sub-weapon. The best way to do the glitch is using the Dragon but there is an exception which is the Werewolf. Is better using the cat since his hit box is very large making easier to stack glitch. Maria also has a special (8236+attack), which recovers your health each time that the special hits something. Is very useful for the Mid and end of the game, making much easier to beat also.
Elevator Glitch When you're going to Sisters Room you'll pass by a elevator. Is not recommended moving changing characters in this part since will soft-lock the game making an invisible wall on the elevator, not letting you pass. The only way to bypass the glitch is saving and loading the game.
