Control of Lydia is done using a point and click interface, with handy on-screen icons for accessing such features as the map, inventory, hint system, and saving games. One strange thing about the save game option is the inability to load a game while playing, meaning you have to quit to access a different save slot. Lydia will run in most places, and hotspots turn the cursor into gears so you know you can interact with them. Although exploring the castle is enjoyable, its size means you will be doing a lot of running back and forth from various rooms to get to the next puzzle. This is cut down slightly in the upper sections of the castle with the use of a teleport system, but even then it can be tedious after a while. There are also times when the camera will change the view of an area so it is hard to see where to go even with the use of a map.

Puzzles are almost entirely logic-based. Specific items will need to be collected during your adventure, but they'll be used automatically by Lydia at the relevant place or puzzle, so there are no actual inventory puzzles in Keepsake. There are also key papers and diagrams to discover, which you'll need to constantly refer to as you progress in order to help solve puzzles. Many of the puzzles share similarities with Myst, but they are interconnected quite successfully, and the third-person perspective also adds some originality to the proceedings. As a result, those who are deterred by a hatred of first-person, Myst-style puzzle games may find Keepsake a refreshing change. The puzzles are enjoyable to think through, reasonably clued, and vary in difficulty. Machines require rotating levers or connecting gears in correct order, and there are board games to be played and potions mixed by collecting ingredients. You'll get to solve riddles, match colours, and mix paints to reveal hidden pictures. And without spoiling things too much for you, there are some truly original and inventive puzzles such as exploring inside a miniature ship-in-a-bottle, growing bridges and even moving staircases. The variety is quite immense and while some are easy, others will tax your brain to the limit. The biggest problem with some puzzles is the way the game thinks: it is possible to be halfway through solving one, only to discover that you can't progress, as it is not yet time to complete it according to the game's structural design. This can be annoying, but the hint system helps to prevent it from being too much of an issue.

This hint system is fantastic and is something that we need to see more of in adventure titles. If you are unsure where to go next, which can easily happen given the non-linear nature of the environment, clicking on the hint icon will let you know, although at times it can give things away a bit too easily. Stuck at a certain puzzle? The hint system has three levels of clues and can point you in the right direction if it is unclear what you are supposed to do. It is even possible to ask for a full solution if you still can't progress, ensuring you never remain stranded at a taxing problem. (I confess to using this feature on one puzzle that proved too much for my brain cells to comprehend.)

The biggest complaint I have about Keepsake is its tendency to crash, and from reading through forums, it seems that others have had the same difficulties. While trying to solve a particular puzzle, the game froze and then rebooted my machine, continuing to do so at the exact same area. After several instances of this, my saves then managed to delete themselves, resulting in having to replay a section of the game. This happened again further on during a cutscene that wasn't possible to bypass. Updating drivers for my audio and graphic cards did seem to improve the situation, but even then, I still experienced crashes and error messages which sent me back to the desktop occasionally. The game also has a tendency to run really slowly after playing for prolonged periods of time. Don't let possible technical issues prevent you from purchasing the game, however, as most players don't seem to have any problems at all.

Keepsake has plenty to recommend, but it really isn't for everyone. Those whose idea of a good adventure involves inventory puzzles and plenty of characters to talk to may be put off by the emphasis on solitary exploration and puzzle solving, particularly given the game's surface resemblance to other quest-style adventures. But the beautiful setting, along with an interesting storyline, clever puzzles, and lots of little magical touches all help to bring the game to life. And if some challenges prove too taxing, the sophisticated help system prevents you from getting stuck for too long. It certainly has its flaws and weaker areas, but overall Keepsake is a lovely game that will appeal to those who enjoy their puzzles injected with a little bit of magic.