Another TIP: forget the mouse except for looking around. Play it like an early Tomb Raider.

I finished the game with all characters when it came out, and is a lot easier to play with the keyboard.

But you choose direction with keyboard, not mouse...

Here's my tips:

1 - Explore everything, kill everything. You need the xp. Avoid having enemies kill each other, they rob you of experience points.

2 - There are secrets behind breakable walls in almost every level. If it looks suspicious - hit it few times. Also - there's a power potion in every level. Use power potions only for really tough fights - like the end boss of Island of Karum.

3 - If you are out of arrows, run around as live bait, until there's enough arrows on the ground and pick them up. The orcs don't have very good aim. this is mostly useful for the archers on the roof in Gorge of Orlok.

4 - Don't pick the amulet in Temple of Al Farum. It's useless and has no purpose.

5 - Skeletons are better killed with blunt weapons. Fleshy enemies are killed better with sharp weapons.

6 - The ice weapons are very good, they are worth picking up even if you can't use them immediately. With the exception of the ice hammer for the dwarf which is kida bad. Also, all of the fire weapons are completely useless.

7 - The venom weapons (for dwarf and amazon) aren't that good. The Amazon one is kinda good but you'll have much better weapons at the moment you get it.

8 - Not every weapon has a good power combo.Some of them are not worth pick up.

Never run down stairs!

Another tip: some big enemies (those giant trolls in particular) are better fought without locking onto them. Bait their attack, run behind them, and combo. You'll have enough time and it's a safer method than facing them head-on.

Remember you can stop targeting an enemy by pressing the sheathe key. That will let you run away from hard fights or reposition yourself quicker.