Hamburg - Spending the summer in a dark basement isn't everyone's idea of a perfect summer. Then again, not everyone is a hard-core computer gamer with a predilection for spending time in online dungeons, immersed in the newest role-playing games.

For those people, August has a new crop of potential reasons to stay inside. Action is the name of the games, though developers have opted to give them titles like Dawn of Magic 2 and Ice & Blood, the sequel to Sacred 2.

For people who aren't so action-oriented, but prefer to solve puzzles, there are games like Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper. The more warmongering might consider PT Boats - Knights of the Sea.

There are role-playing games and then there are action role-playing games. In the first, the player is tasked with fighting battles, completing missions, killing monsters and gathering experience to improve the character's skills.

Action role-playing games are much the same, except they move quicker and focus less on the back story. In exchange, monsters that are killed tend to provide much richer treasures.

Dawn of Magic 2, released by Kalypso Media, is that kind of game. But it is also set apart from the genre by the fact that the hero isn't covered head-to-toe in armour and carrying a sharp sword. Instead, this game focuses on magic and wizards. However, the goal remains the same: using your magic powers to save the world from evil.

The game is set to hit the market on August 20, retailing at about 40 euros (57 dollars).

Sacred, developed in Germany, is more a typical action role-playing game, with a varied cast of characters in the spirit of the Diablo series of games. After the surprise success of the first instalment, Sacred 2 has a chance of becoming a smash as well.

Unfortunately, that success is not likely to save developer Ascaron from bankruptcy, since it took too long to update its games for the various gaming consoles on the market. Nonetheless, the company has managed to publish Sacred 2 - Ice & Blood.

The game adds a new character class, the dragon wizard. There are also new missions and regions of the fantasy world Ancaria. The game is due on August 28 and is expected to cost just under 30 euros.

Point-and-click adventures cater to a whole different kind of gamer. These focus more on looking at objects in a make-believe world in the hopes of solving a puzzle and pushing a story forward. There tend to have no time limits and little danger that a dangerous monster will appear to terrorize your character.

Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper, scheduled to be released on August 14 by Koch Media, is an example of the genre. The game focuses on a familiar series of murders in 19th century London. When the murderer eludes capture, it falls upon Sherlock Holmes to solve the case. Players also get to act in the role of Holmes' companion, Dr Watson, as they work to end Jack the Ripper's reign of crime. The game will cost about 40 euros.

It's no secret that games with war themes sell more than more family-friendly adventures. These games tend to focus on land wars, with knights storming castles or world wars fought with tanks and troops.

But there's an exception this summer with PT Boats - Knights of the Sea because, as the name indicates, the action takes place on the water, specifically on board patrol torpedo boats - fast, manoeuvrable and deadly vessels.

The game lets the player take command of a PT boat and complete a series of missions, for example, commanding a convoy across the ocean. Publisher Rondomedia plans to release the game on August 26 for about 35 euros, allowing gamers to escape their dungeons and experience the high seas. (dpa)