Could you clarify what you mean by the speed feeling off?
As for the items, combat items weren't implemented yet, I imagine what you're getting from the chests is the level up materials. They come in three different types and show up on the bottom of a monsters stat block.
Currently you can't see how many materials of a certain type you have unless you have a monster of that type. I will probably add in a section in the info menu to show how many materials the player has, and other items when those are added in.