I don't remember what keys I clicked, but it seems to me there was something in the lower right corner of the screen where you clicked on various choices and one was to use the inventory item.

That's right. But to see more than the cane, you have to use the "a" or "d" key to scroll through what's in the inventory, just like you have to use those keys to turn the pages of the notebook. (Odd, I know, but there it is!)

Good Grief, I had no idea that was how to get to the inventory. I saw the cane and thought that was it. Now that I know maybe I will try it again some day. Or not.

Well, just to get to the inventory, you do first press the down arrow key -- but to access anything other than the cane (which seems to pop up first) you scroll through the inventory using the "a" or "d" keys, then to actually use that inventory item, you press the down arrow key again.

EDIT: I just played a bit further into the game -- the information above isn't accurate.

To use an inventory item you press the down arrow key, then use the "a" or "d" keys to scroll through the items, and then to actually use that inventory item, you press the RIGHT arrow key.

I found accessing & scrolling through the inventory & notebook N pretty straight forward by just using the A & D keys - but it took me until halfway through the game to suss out how you accessed all the documents (including books) after pressing Q as the A & D keys didn't do it!! I did discover the space bar worked to scroll through the items & then pressing the A & D to scroll through books!

I didn't look to see if there was any detailed manual on the disc & just jotted down the basic controls but thought this was a game that could have definitely done with something more detailed in the booklet rather than on the disc!

Well, after reading your correction, Becky, plus the information that you added, chrissie, I can see why I didn't warm up to this game, much too complicated for me. Add that to not bonding with the character and not caring overly much for the graphics either, it just didn't (and won't) work for me!

Hi sierramindy, I can appreciate we don't all like the same sort of games & keyboard control can put people off (I always have to psyche myself up!) but I am curious to know why you didn't care for the graphics?? I thought they were gorgeous! Out of curiosity - which games that you've played had better graphics in your opinion??? Also what are your favourite sort of games to play??

If you have a control pad you may want to build a profile to use that instead of the keyboard. It does make controlling a lot easier.

Hi Chump253 and welcome to GameBoomers!

Thanks Becky

I agree about the dead ends, I never encountered any and the controls were quite easy if you are used to WASD. Once you get the hang of it, the controls become second nature and you are left with a pretty darned good adventure game. In fact, I think it's one of the better games to have come out last last year.

Am still playing the game and enjoying it.
You yust have to adjust some keys, and than you have no
trouble at all. I use the E, R, T keyes for action, looking
and so on, and that works fine with me.
The only trouble I had was with combining items,
that took me a while to find out. But the graphics are fine,
although mabye a bit to gray. But, all in all, I am pleased with the game (and the music is very nice too ..)
And Johnny Depp! am definitly a fan!

Hi chrissie,
To answer your question about why I didn't like the graphics, to me they were sort of boring. I can't get excited about rooms and hallways in any game, especially if I get stuck and have to do things over. Which I did before I went to MaG's walkthrough which I tried to follow as much as I could to try to get somewhere in the game but then that lost key (even if it was in my inventory I didn't know how to reach it) just completely frustrated me. I like more color in my graphics which is why I prefer the old 2D cartoony games. I was late in discovering the early Broken Sword 1 and 2 games which I played in January and February last year but they had the graphics I like the best. They were just about the best games I played last year, along with the 2 Blackwell games, which also had the old-style (very old, in fact) type of graphics, but easy to see where you were, not lost in a hallway like in Dead Reefs, and the storylines in these games were more entertaining to me. I thought the Dead Reef character was sort of stiff-upper lipped and not the fun that George and Joey were. I'm not a Johnny Depp fan (I'm one of Harrison Ford's big time fans!) so I didn't have this going for the character which might have made him more appealing. I'm thinking maybe my age has me more tuned to the old style gaming interfaces and therefore I don't appreciate the new 3D more realistic type of interface. Sorry about that. But you are lucky, you know, chrissie, because more games that you like will be made than those games that I like.

Hi sierramindy, thank you for taking the time to answer me! I can completely see why Dead Reefs & a lot of the more modern games don't appeal to you - & I don't think Harrison Ford instead of Johnny Depp would have helped much! (either would do it for me, I'm not fussy! but neither would help if I just didn't like the game)

I AM lucky in that I do like a variety of games but I'm sure that there must be a lot of gamers (including myself) who enjoy the old style cartoony graphics as well as the more realistic type of interface so it does seems a pity that less of these are being made! Hope sierramindy that you find some more undiscovered gems like the 1st two Broken Sword games to while away the hours! Have you played the Monkey Island & Discworld games? Also, if you haven't already looked, there may be some games in Free Games Galore with the graphics/interface you like.

Hey Sierramindy -- have you played the Ankh games and the Runaway games? Also, you might want to check out Super Jazz Man (an Indie game I think you might like). Super Jazz Man Trailer and the Super Jazz Man website.