• Valley of the Dead Review

    Valley of the Dead is now streaming on Netflix.

    I’ve seen zombies tear through World War II (Overlord), interrupt the American Civil War (Exit Humanity), and now I’ve seen them invade the Spanish Civil War thanks to Alberto de Toro and Javier Ruiz Caldera’s Valley of the Dead. There’s no connection to Zack Snyder’s ongoing Army of the Dead franchise; rather, Netflix’s import draws influence from John Carpenter’s horror catalog, according to its filmmakers. Another maniac plays god, reanimates corpses, and threatens humanity with an undead apocalypse like we’ve seen over and over, except this time there’s European cultural context to liven one more by-the-books zombie thriller.

    Jan Lozano (Miki Esparbé), Captain of the Fifth Brigade, is taken captive by the opposition. He’s given a chance to redeem himself and prove loyalty if he accepts a suicide mission into enemy territory with his skittish young driver Decruz (Manel Llunell). Jan doesn’t waste an opportunity and finds himself a delivery man, caught between Nationalists and Republicans. Still, this is a zombie flick, so you’re correct to presume his objective is compromised when Nazi experimentation unleashes walkers onto battlefields — which becomes even more complicated when Jan is taken captive by adversarial rebels who don’t trust the situational turncoat.

    It’s not hard to map where Valley of the Dead is headed from scene to scene, which is an unfortunate flaw. Directors de Toro and Caldera seek inspiration from a horror maestro in Carpenter, who’s not known for his zombie contributions (which shows). If you’ve seen anything by George A. Romero, or any of the infinite Romero copycats, then you’ll be two steps ahead whenever Valley of the Dead advances its story. Jan must convince his captors that fighting together is their only means of survival, the group learns about zombie infections mid-fight, and not everyone can live until the end credits. Screenwriters Jaime Marques and Cristian Conti adapt Manuel Martín’s novel Noche de Difuntos del 38 like it’s just another reboot of zombie mythologies, trudging in footsteps stamped smooth by countless filmmakers prior.

    That said, Valley of the Dead is still a competent retelling of zombie theories by using the undead as biological Nazi warfare. Overlord is the far nastier, more epic Nazi zombie creation, but de Toro and Caldera are not out of their depth as horror directors. By adhering to tropes that march in line and never break rank, Valley of the Dead delivers on basic wartime horror promises. Action sequences pit zeds against bickering platoon soldiers with conflicting ideals, dramatic moments sacrifice squad members for the good of on-camera martyrdom, and hordes of shambling monsters munch flesh. Better yet, Valley of the Dead bolsters its period aesthetic through fortified barbed-wire bases and shabbily coated costuming versus lesser invested military zombie flicks like 2008’s abysmal Day of the Dead remake featuring Nick Cannon.

    If this review doesn’t sound overwhelmingly excitable, you’re correct — but that doesn’t diminish descriptors like “capable,” “sturdy,” and “approvable.” Valley of the Dead won’t crack anyone’s list of favorite zombie flicks, but it’s still serviceable and made more interesting by its Spanish Civil War surroundings. Commentary exists as demolition experts and sharpshooters settle their faction differences by realizing the bloodshed that’s stained their country now means nothing as zombies become a common enemy. Undead sieges on train station depots show Republicans and Nationalists praying to the same god for survival, as clouds of red mist signify ammunition entering rotten walker skills for a kill shot (Nazis are still bad, duh). Satirical action-hero partnership dynamics form as scripting belittles the arguments between Spain’s divided people, albeit without that much horror-focused gore beyond those vibrantly red clouds of headshot spray.

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    This Razer Barracuda X Gaming Headset Is On Sale for Prime Day 2022

    Prime Day 2022 is finally here, and there's already a slew of incredible deals to check out right now. One of the best deals that's managed to catch our eye is this discount on the Razer Barracuda X Gaming Headset.

    Rocking compatibility with PC, PS5, Switch and Android, this affordable gaming headset is the perfect addition to your gaming setup, and for just $59.99, you really can't go wrong with this deal. That's 40% off the original list price, making this one of the most attractive Prime Day deals for gamers this year.

    More Razer Deals to Check Out During Prime Day 2022

    Razer's Anzu smart glasses normally retail for a premium of $199.99, and honestly, it's not worth that. But for $50, you definitely have our attention.

    A massive $150 discount is nothing to joke about as well, and well worth considering before the 48-hour Prime Day sales are over. Not only that, with your Prime membership, these glasses will likely be delivered within the next two days to your address.

    Prime Day: Top Up $50 and Get an Extra $12.50 for Free

    Prime members can currently top up $50 onto their Amazon account, and then receive an additional $12.50 for free on top. To qualify for this deal you have to be a Prime Member, use code GCPRIME22 in the "Gift Cards and Promotional Codes" box when you check out, and purchase at least $50 in qualifying Amazon.com Gift Cards in a single order at Amazon.

    All the Best Amazon Prime Day Deals

    Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

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    Company of Heroes 3 Release Date Revealed

    Nearly a year after Relic Entertainment and Sega announced Company of Heroes 3, the next entry in the beloved World War II real-time strategy series finally has a release date. Today, Relic Entertainment revealed that CoH3 is set to release on November 17, 2022.

    According to a press release, the game will have four playable factions and two separate campaigns at launch: the more open-ended Italian Dynamic Campaign and the focused, narrative-based North African Operation.

    These campaigns will also introduce players to new mechanics, including "side armor, enemy vehicle recovery and vehicle-towing, which lets you reposition your hard-hitting artillery like the German Flak 36 and British 17-Pounder."

    While the game won't be out until November, Relic Entertainment is now promoting its community feedback program, which gives players the opportunity to test part of the North African Operation campaign, titled Mission Alpha. The mission, which is also free on Steam starting today until July 19, follows the "Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) as they attempt to repel the British from their entrenched positions."

    Last year, IGN previewed a pre-alpha version of the game. More recently, IGN was able to take part in a hands-on preview of Company of Heroes 3's North African Operation, and there were quite a few impressive differences between the game's varied settings.

    Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

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    Prime Day Deals Reddit Users Are Recommending Right Now

    With Amazon Prime Day finally here, it can be overwhelming to see what deals you want to take advantage of, especially if you have nothing on your radar going into it. If you are unsure what deals (and products) you are looking for, Reddit is a good place to figure out what sales might be worth looking into for Prime Day.

    Across the website, Redditors are recommending a variety of hardware, PC and tech products, from the extremely good Apple TV deal to various PC components such as SSDs.

    Subreddits such as r/buildapcsales are good places to visit if you need to comb through some good Prime Day deals, (and some anti-Prime Day deals).

    To save you some time, we've highlighted a few Prime Day Deals that have been popular across Reddit below!

    Prime Day Amazon Gift Card Credit

    If you're shopping on Prime Day, you're either a full-fledged Prime member, or you're taking advantage of the benefits with a free trial. In either case, Prime Members can score an Amazon Gift Card deal during Prime Day. Just get a $50 card, drop in the promo code, and Amazon will credit you $12.50. Basically, you can get a $50 gift card for $37.50 (at least on a balance sheet).

    Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

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    Amazon Prime Day 2022 – Best Bluetooth Speaker Deals

    Music rocks, and so do podcasts and audiobooks. If you want a great way to listen to your favorite things on the go, in the shower, or just puttering around your home, Amazon Prime Day has sales on some fantastic Bluetooth speakers just for you.

    For more, be sure to check out all the best Prime Day deals, our Walmart deals mega-post, our Best Buy mega-post, and if you want your Bluetooth speaker to have extra functionality, check out this great Amazon Echo deal.

    Get $12.50 Free When Buying a $50 Amazon Gift Card

    The best deal available during Amazon Prime Day is free cash, plain and simple.

    Amazon Prime Day 2022 – Best Bluetooth Speaker Deals

    Looking for More Amazon Prime Day Deals?

    Brian Barnett writes reviews, wiki guides, deals posts, features, and more for IGN. You can get your fix of his antics on Twitter (@Ribnax), Twitch (Ribnax), & YouTube, or check out his weekly video game talk show on Twitch (The Platformers).

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