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TL;DR: Live stream Real Madrid vs. Benfica in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League playoff fixture between Benfica and Real Madrid made headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the focus will inevitably remain on the controversy going into the second leg. Real Madrid carry a 1-0 advantage going into this clash, and will expect to secure their passage into the next round at the Estadio Bernabeu.

Of course anything can happen at this stage of the tournament. Benfica possess the talent to shock Real Madrid, and José Mourinho remains a master in this type of situation. He'll love the opportunity to upset the odds at his old club.

If you want to watch Real Madrid vs. Benfica in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Real Madrid vs. Benfica?

Real Madrid vs. Benfica in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Feb. 25. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Bernabeu.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Benfica for free

Real Madrid vs. Benfica is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Benfica for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Real Madrid vs. Benfica for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Real Madrid vs. Benfica (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Benfica in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream PSG vs. Monaco in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first leg of the Champions League matchup between PSG and Monaco was awesome. At one point, it looked like the defending champions were going to be dumped out of the competition, but they came fighting back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Now they face off again in the second leg, this time in Paris.

Désiré Doué was the spark that PSG needed to come storming back in that entertaining game. He'll need to be at his electric best again if PSG want to avoid an upset. You can expect the likes of Achraf Hakimi and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to also feature heavily in this all-important clash.

If you want to watch PSG vs. Monaco in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Monaco?

PSG vs. Monaco in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Feb. 25. This fixture takes place at the Parc des Princes.

How to watch PSG vs. Monaco for free

PSG vs. Monaco is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Monaco for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch PSG vs. Monaco for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch PSG vs. Monaco without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch PSG vs. Monaco in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

A smart long-term car isn’t flashy—it’s dependable, efficient, affordable to maintain, and strong on resale. That’s the stuff that actually matters once the new-car smell wears off.

SAVE $23.98: Through March 2, new Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can enjoy two free months of listening. Usually $11.99 per month (with Prime) or $12.99 per month (without Prime), that's a savings of $23.98 or $25.98 total.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Music Unlimited free for 2 months (save $23.98) Get Deal

If you aren't committed to a music streaming service, now's a good time to check out Amazon Music Unlimited without spending a penny. Through March 2 at 11 a.m. ET, new subscribers can secure two free months of Amazon Music Unlimited. Typically $11.99 per month for Prime members and $12.99 per month for non-Prime members, that's an automatic savings of $23.98 or $25.98.

With Amazon Music Unlimited, you'll unlock a massive music catalog that you can listen to on-demand and ad-free. With HD and spatial audio, you can enjoy your music in the highest quality possible on devices from most top brands (Sonos, Bose, Sony, Klipsch, etc.).

Beyond the music, Amazon Music Unlimited subscriptions also include "the most ad-free podcasts" of any of the major music apps, as well as one free audiobook per month via Audible. Audible Premium Plus, which gives you a credit per month to "buy" an audiobook from its catalog, usually costs $14.95 per month. Amazon's Music Unlimited subscription basically gives you that same benefit for free. Each month, you can choose a new audiobook — even during the two-month free trial period. Just keep in mind that if you cancel your subscription, you'll lose access to your audiobook selection.

If you're already paying for another music streaming service, take a two-month break from payments and pause it for this freebie from Amazon. Once your two-month trial ends, you'll automatically be charged the full monthly price — either $11.99 or $12.99 per month — unless you cancel. Set your calendar alert now if you want to avoid that charge.

SAVE 27%: As of Feb. 25, you can get the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G93SC Series curved gaming monitor for $899.99, down from $1,228.80, at Amazon. That's a 27% discount or $328.81 in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G93SC Series curved gaming monitor $899.99 at Amazon
$1,228.80 Save $328.81   Get Deal

If you're on the hunt for a top-tier gaming monitor, Samsung’s 49-inch Odyssey OLED just got a hefty price cut — but the real steals are hiding in those little green boxes just below the price tag.

SEE ALSO: The ultra-wide Westinghouse 49-inch curved gaming monitor just hit a new record-low at Amazon

As of Feb. 25, the Samsung Odyssey G93SC curved gaming monitor is down to $899.99 at Amazon. That’s a 27% discount on its own (and just $1 more than its all-time lowest price), but you'll want to pay close attention to those "Savings" badges.

Right off the bat, you can snag a free game code for Resident Evil Requiem. If you're doing a full setup overhaul, you can use the promo code BUYMORE to save $100 on two select items. You can also instantly save $300 when you buy three participating Samsung products, or $400 if you buy four. (Just a heads up: You have to be signed into your Amazon account to click and redeem these offers.)

As for the monitor itself, it's a 49-inch QD-OLED panel, which means your colors will pop and your dark scenes won't look washed out. It features an 1800R curve to wrap the game around your peripheral vision, plus a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time to eliminate lag.

Sure, $900 is an investment, but when you factor in the screen real estate, the free game, and the chance to bundle your way to $400 in extra savings, this is a pretty good excuse to upgrade.

You might have seen people on YouTube or Reddit with massive server racks in their homelab and thought, “I’ll never get to that level.” Here’s the thing: you don’t have to have a huge server rack to start homelabbing. In fact, you probably already have everything needed to start it already. Here’s how you can get started with homelabbing for free using hardware you already own.

I've been using Home Assistant to control and automate my smart home for more than a decade. I don't regret my decision for an instant; in my opinion, it's the best smart home software there is. I just wish I'd known how much work it was going to be.

Hisense TV deals this week at a glance: Best 100-inch TV deal 100-inch Hisense Class U8 QLED 4K TV $2,997.96 (save $1,000.03) Get Deal Best 75-inch deal 75-inch Hisense QD7 4K TV $547.96 (save $102.03) Get Deal Best 32-inch deal 32-inch Hisense Class A4 TV $97.99 (save $22) Get Deal

We don't usually consider the end of February as one of the best times of the year to buy a new TV, but Amazon is surprising us in the best way possible. Since spring weather is apparently still weeks away, we're staying tucked in on the couch and tuned in to our favorite shows while we wait for warmer temps.

If you've started to notice your current TV isn't looking very sharp, it could be time for an upgrade, and lucky for us, Amazon is highlighting Hisense this week. The brand is well known for offering high-quality displays without costing a small fortune. Here are some of the best Hisense TV deals to shop this week.

Best 100-inch TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 100-inch Hisense Class U8 QLED 4K TV $2,997.96 at Amazon
$3,997.99 Save $1,000.03   Get Deal Why we like it

Ready for a major upgrade for watching TV, movies, sports, and playing games? Go with a 100-inch TV. Sure, smaller options are less expensive but they don't offer this experience. The 100-inch Hisense Class U8 QLED 4K TV comes backed with features that make it a standout model. Snag it from Amazon while it's on sale for $2,997.96, marked down from the list price of $3,997.99. You'll be saving just over $1,000 by shopping this sale today.

The 100-inch Hisense Class U8 QLED 4K TV gets up to 5,000 Nits of brightness. Pair this with its QLED display technology and you'll be in great shape for daytime viewing. The 165Hz native refresh rate puts this model in line for an excellent gaming experience, and Hisense added an anti-reflection element to the display.

Amazon also has professional TV wall-mounting service on sale when purchasing this model. Instead of the standard price of $239.99, Amazon is offering the service for $115.99. During your scheduled time, a professional will remove your current TV from the wall, mount the new one on the wall, and make sure everything is working properly, including connections to soundbars and gaming consoles.

Best 75-inch TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 75-inch Hisense QD7 QLED 4K TV $547.96 at Amazon
$649.98 Save $102.02   Get Deal Why we like it

If your living room or bedroom is well suited for a 75-inch TV, the Hisense QD7 4K TV got a nice discount at Amazon this week. Instead of paying the normal price of $649.99, the TV is on sale for $547.96, which matches the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Getting up to 600 Nits of brightness, the 75-inch Hisense QD7 focuses on offering excellent color contrast with bright highlights and deep blacks. The 144Hz refresh rate makes this TV a decent option for gaming and it's equipped with AMD FreeSync Premium. Since the TV is a Fire TV model, Alexa's help is always nearby. Plus, you can get a picture-in-picture display with other Alexa-enabled devices like the video doorbell.

Best 32-inch TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 32-inch Hisense Class A4 Series TV $97.99 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $22   Get Deal Why we like it

For smaller rooms, the kid's room, the guest room, or the garage, the 32-inch Hisense Class A4 Series is on sale for just $97.99 at Amazon. Coming with a 720p HD LCD screen, the 32-inch Hisense offer an ultra-affordable TV option. This model comes with built-in Roku TV which gives you access to hundreds of shows for free. You can also connect the TV to Apple AirPlay so you can stream movies, shows, or display photos directly from your phone.

Samsung's newest flagship may already be out in the wild.

A tech YouTuber known as Sahil Karoul posted a 15-minute unboxing and hands-on video with what appears to be a genuine Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra device. The video was posted on Monday, just a couple of days before the Galaxy S26 lineup's expected unveiling at Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday afternoon. It should be noted that there is no definitive proof that the phone in the video is the real deal at this point, but it certainly looks believable.

Karoul claimed to have gotten the device ahead of its release date in a Dubai market. In an Instagram Reel, he shows himself paying cash for the device on the street outside a mobile store.

Privacy Display in action. Credit: Sahil Karoul/YouTube SEE ALSO: Get a 57-inch 4K Samsung gaming monitor for its best-ever price at Amazon — includes a free copy of 'Resident Evil Requiem'

In the videos, you can see the basic design of the phone, which is pretty similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, though with a slightly more prominent rear camera bump. The phone in the video comes with an S-Pen, as Ultra models typically do. Perhaps the biggest reveal here is the first real (we think) look at the new Privacy Display feature in action. It makes the phone's display less visible to anyone looking at it from a side angle. The Privacy Display feature can reportedly be turned on and off in the phone's settings and doesn't require a separate screen protector.

Aside from that, it's hard to tell what else is new about the S26 Ultra from a short video that mostly focuses on comparing the phone to other popular smartphones. Karoul does show off some sample photos taken with the device's camera near the end of the video, but as far as I can tell, there's no sign of the unified AI image editor Samsung is hyping up prior to Galaxy Unpacked tomorrow.

All of this will be moot in a little more than 24 hours. Be patient, folks.

Between 2021's unsettling We're All Going to the World's Fair and 2024's critically acclaimed I Saw the TV Glow, director Jane Schoenbrun has cemented themselves as a key voice in queer horror. Now, they continue to play with horror conventions with their third feature film, the upcoming Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

The film stars Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson as two women caught in the web of the long-running slasher franchise Camp Miasma.

Once a horror staple, Camp Miasma has fallen prey to underwhelming sequels, losing fans along the way. When an enthusiastic queer director (Einbinder) gets a chance to breathe new life into the films, she decides to visit the original film's reclusive star (Anderson). According to Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma's official logline, the two soon find themselves in "a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium."

That world comes to vivid life in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma's first teaser. Schoenbrun pays tribute to summer camp slashers past with fountains of blood, knives bursting from lakes, and Einbinder running through the woods, Final Girl-style.

The teaser also sees Anderson deliver the chilling revelation, "There is a hole at the bottom of the lake where the movies come from. He always comes back."

Like Einbinder's character, who utters a confused "What?," we're bewildered, but intrigued. More than that, we're ready for our stay at Camp Miasma.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma also stars Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Jack Haven.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma hits theaters Aug. 7.

GET $200: Anyone who pre-orders the 52-inch LG UltraGear evo Curved Gaming Monitor (52G930B-B) now through March 22 will get a $200 reward (either a Prepaid Mastercard or console gaming e-gift card).

Opens in a new window Credit: LG Get a $200 gaming or Mastercard® credit when you preorder the 52-inch UltraGear evo $1,999.99 at LG
Preorders are expected to start shipping the week of 3/22/26 or as product becomes available. Pre-order Here

The world's largest 5K2K screen is officially available for pre-order, and LG is offering a $200 bonus for customers who lock in early.

As of Feb. 25, you can pre-order the 52-inch LG UltraGear evo Curved Gaming Monitor for $1,999.99 at LG.com. If you make your purchase anytime before March 22, LG will give you a $200 Prepaid Mastercard or console gaming e-gift card. (You get to choose!)

SEE ALSO: Get a 57-inch 4K Samsung gaming monitor for its best-ever price at Amazon — includes a free copy of 'Resident Evil Requiem'

Here's how to get the deal: Make your purchase on LG.com and then, this is the important part, submit a claim on LG's promo page within 30 days of your purchase. Once it's approved, your reward will be sent to you within 45 days.

If you need a little more info before committing, I've got those deets, too. This monitor is built to replace a multi-screen setup. It features a 52-inch screen with 5K2K resolution. To keep you from straining your neck, it has a 1000R curve that naturally wraps around your field of view. And, if you're into fast-paced games, it has a 240Hz refresh rate to keep things moving smoothly. It even has built-in height, tilt, and swivel adjustments, so you won't need a separate mounting arm.

Dropping two grand on a monitor is definitely a splurge, but getting a screen this big and fast (plus $200 in credit) makes the pre-order a lot easier to justify.

SAVE $200: As of Feb. 25, you can get an Apple iPhone 13 with 128GB (locked to AT&T) for only $99 at Walmart when you activate in stores and sign up for select prepaid plans. If you choose to purchase online, it's still a great deal at $249 (reg. $299).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 13 (128GB, AT&T) $99 at Walmart
$299 Save $200 In Walmart stores only Learn More

Not everyone requires the latest and greatest device. For those that just want something that works well and doesn't cost a fortune, check out this excellent deal on an iPhone 13. Sure, it's now 4.5 years old, but in the age of iterative upgrades, it's not all that outdated. And as of Feb. 25, you can pick one up at Walmart for only $99 when you activate it in store and sign up for a select prepaid AT&T plan.

Walmart and AT&T have teamed up to deliver more affordable mobile plans and devices to customers. Through May 15, you can sign up for either the Unlimited Enhanced Plus or Unlimited Ultra plans, starting at $45 per month, and pick up a new iPhone 13 (128GB, AT&T) for just 99 bucks at participating stores. Just head to a Walmart near you that stocks the iPhone 13 and offers in-store activation, go to the electronics counter, and ask a Walmart associate to help you choose a plan and activate your new phone. If no physical Walmart stores near you offer in-store phone activation, you can still score the iPhone 13 for $50 off online — just $249.

Not an Apple person? Walmart and AT&T are also offering two options for the Android community — Motorola Moto G (128GB) or Samsung Galaxy A16 (64GB). You can grab these phones for either $49.88 online or in stores for free with activation of a new phone line on any monthly plan.

Credit: Walmart / AT&T

TL:DR: Walmart is dropping exclusive Pokémon TCG collectibles over four consecutive days before Pokémon Day 2026. New products drop at 10 a.m. ET on Feb. 23-26 for Walmart+ members.

Pokémon Day is an annual celebration of all things Pokémon. It is held every year on Feb. 27 to mark the release of the original game in Japan. You can expect a lot of exciting announcements and product launches to go live on the big day, but there's actually no need to wait.

Walmart is dropping exclusive Pokémon TCG collectibles over four consecutive days before Pokémon Day 2026. These new products will drop at 10 a.m. ET on each day:

• Feb. 23 — Ascended Heroes ETB

• Feb. 24 — Ascended Heroes Mini Tin Displays

• Feb. 25 — Journey Together Booster Bundle

• Feb. 26 — Destined Rivals Booster Bundle (TBC)

The first drop on Feb. 23 featured Ascended Heroes ETBs. Walmart+ members could score these boxes for $59.99 — way below the $120 price point on TCGplayer. Next came Ascended Heroes Mini Tin Displays for under $130 on Feb. 24. There's a lot of speculation about what products are going to featured in the coming days. If rumours are to be believed, Pokémon fans can expect Journey Together Booster Bundle and Destined Rivals Booster Bundles to go live this week.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

You do need to be a Walmart+ member to shop these exclusive drops — it's easy to sign up and this should hopefully limit the impact of bots and scalpers. These products will likely sell fast, so if you're interested in shopping, we recommend signing up well before the next drop. You don't want to be going through the sign-up process when stock is disappearing before your eyes.

Make sure your Walmart+ subscription is live, clear your schedule, and stock up ahead of Pokémon Day 2026.

SAVE $170.01: As of Feb. 25, get the XREAL One Pro AR Glasses for $598.99 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $769. That's a discount of 22% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon XREAL One Pro AR Glasses $598.99 at Amazon
$769 Save $170.01   Get Deal

Virtual reality is fun and all, but augmented reality can be even cooler, especially when they can do what XREAL's glasses can do. If you've been curious about what you can accomplish with an AR screen in your life, especially at a great price, now's the time to get a pair of these glasses for yourself, as they're the most affordable price yet.

As of Feb. 25, get the XREAL One Pro AR Glasses for $598.99 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $769. That's $170.01 off and a discount of 22%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 hands-on: Xreal's world-first 240 Hz AR smart glasses made my jaw drop

The XREAL glasses use a special lens and projection system to make a huge virtual screen in front of you. They boast a 57-degree FOV and Optic Engine 4.0 makes it feel like you're watching movies or shows on a 171-inch screen from just four meters away. All this with just a pair of lightweight glasses with anti-glare design so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy.

You can move your screen around the room and anchor it anywhere thanks to XREAL Eye, and it'll stay in place even when you yourself move thanks to the glasses' 6DoF setup. That makes things even more immersive for you and helps you feel like you're in a massive space for a huge screen, which can make doing just about anything in your living room a little more fun.

If you're ready to experience AR, be sure to get a pair for yourself while the XREAL glasses are down at this price.

It's easy to get intimidated by the Linux terminal's numerous commands. cp, mkdir, lsblk, piping—are they really worth memorizing? Not necessarily; you can actually make use of the terminal without memorizing complex commands thanks to TUIs.

Losing files and photos can be more than just an annoyance, it can be a large problem if you lose something important. The best way to ensure that never happens is with a robust backup system. This is how I incorporated a Raspberry Pi into my setup.

TL;DR: Walmart dropped the Pokémon TCG Scarlet and Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle at 10 a.m. ET on Feb. 25. You need to be signed up to Walmart+ to shop this exclusive deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Scarlet and Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle Shop Now

Walmart is going hard this week by dropping exclusive Pokémon TCG collectibles for Pokémon Day 2026. These drops take place at 10 a.m. ET every day from Feb. 23-26 in the build up to the big day.

Collectors have already had the opportunity to pick up Ascended Heroes ETBs and Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Mini Tin Displays this week. On Feb. 25, the Pokémon TCG Scarlet and Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle is available for $34.97 at 10 a.m. ET.

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It is reportedly extremely tough to actually get your hands on these products. You need to be signed up to Walmart+ to shop these exclusive deals, but even that is no guarantee of coming through with an order. We're well versed in the competitive and fast-paced nature of trading card collecting right now, but this week of exclusive drops has been on another level of brutal.

All we can say is make sure your membership is active before the next deal goes live, and keep refreshing the page if you don't see the product listing go live immediately.

Want to score the best Pokémon Day deals ahead of Pokémon Day? It's rough out there, but Walmart might be your best bet.

When it comes to the automotive world, few names stand out to mechanics as much as Snap-On, and with good reason. The company offers reliable hand tools with a renowned lifetime warranty. However, more and more mechanics are ditching the "old way," ignoring tool trucks, and switching to brands like Milwaukee.

Nokia’s S60 Symbian phone series has a special place in my heart. The Nokia 6600 introduced me to the world of smartphones and fostered my curiosity about smartphones, hardware, and technology. Below are my top 10 favorite Nokia Symbian phones!

I love Resident Evil. That wasn’t always the case. I've mentioned in past reviews that growing up, I hated scary video games. One of my core memories is my cousin trying to get me to play Resident Evil 2 and failing spectacularly — he couldn’t even get me past the opening because the zombies terrified me and I didn’t understand how tank controls worked (I still don't, if we're being honest). Years later, I had weeks of nightmares after watching a 10-minute preview of Dead Space late at night on my great-grandmother's on-demand cable. I was not built for this genre.

All that to say: for years, I tried to work up the courage to play horror games and always bailed. Then, during my freshman year of college in 2017, I stumbled onto Resident Evil 7: Biohazard the day it launched, which permanently altered my brain chemistry. I've been chasing the high of wandering through the Baker house ever since. Only a handful of games have even come close to scratching that itch, but RE7 was the spark.

SEE ALSO: 'Resident Evil: Requiem' might actually get to have its cake and eat it too

Plus, RE7 didn’t just convert me, it saved the series. The Resident Evil franchise had been languishing after the mixed reception to Resident Evil 6, which leaned hard into bombastic action and drifted away from its survival horror roots. But RE7 marked the beginning of what I think of as the "RE Engine Era": a creative resurgence powered by a new engine and a renewed commitment to dread. That era gave us Resident Evil Village and the stellar remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4.

Which brings us to the ninth mainline entry — and what I see as the culmination of everything the RE Engine Era has been building toward: Resident Evil Requiem.

With protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak, Requiem wears its intentions on its sleeve. As the title suggests, it’s a "token of remembrance" — a playable elegy for everything that came before. Specifically, it frames itself around the Raccoon City Incident from 1998's Resident Evil 2, the singular catastrophe that detonated the series' lore, set the next 28 years into motion, and forged Leon into the wisecracking, trauma-scarred super agent we know today.

Across the roughly 13 hours I spent with the main campaign, Requiem swings hard at reinvention. It tries to thread the needle between pure survival horror during Grace's sections and the slick, action-horror bombast that defines Leon's. Sometimes it finds that balance, however, it doesn’t always stick the landing. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time. That said, man, does it lean on nostalgia.

Resident Evil Requiem is an elegy for the dead, nightmare for the living Meet new series protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. Credit: Capcom

Thanks to Capcom, I received early access to Requiem, though embargo restrictions prevent me from discussing the game's back half. The setup is straightforward: Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst, is investigating a string of deaths at the Wrenwood Hotel — the same place her mother, Alyssa, died years ago — when she’s kidnapped and imprisoned inside the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. Meanwhile, Leon S. Kennedy is tracking the suspicious deaths of Raccoon City survivors, following leads tied to a former Umbrella scientist named Victor Gideon, which also brings him to the Care Center.

For most of the campaign, the two remain separated, and their gameplay styles reflect that split. Grace plays in first-person, similar to Resident Evil 7 and Village, while Leon sticks to the modern third-person style popularized by the remakes. Leon’s early Care Center sections are brief before the back half shifts focus back to Raccoon City.

Featured Video For You Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 footage

Grace’s gameplay leans heavily into survival horror. Ammo is scarce, weapons are limited, and avoidance is often smarter than confrontation. She’s inexperienced and visibly shaken, still carrying grief and trauma, which contrasts with Leon’s hardened confidence and mirrors the rookie cop he once was in Resident Evil 2. As a new protagonist, Grace is serviceable — motivated by guilt and driven to protect Emily, a blind girl she meets in the Care Center — even if some of her decisions feel more plot-driven than organic.

Leon plays almost exactly like he does in the Resident Evil 4 remake, with the biggest addition being a hand axe that emphasizes melee combat. Unlike Grace’s breakable knives, Leon’s axe is permanent but dulls with use and must be sharpened. It’s satisfying, weighty, and absolutely going to inspire “axe-only” challenge runs. Character-wise, Leon is still the gruff, traumatized, slightly corny veteran we know — far removed from the naïve rookie of RE2, but still carrying decades of survivor’s guilt along with his one-liners.

Resident Evil Requiem brings a new story, same vibes Doesn't this look vaugely familiar. Credit: Capcom

As I alluded to in the headline of this review, Requiem is peak nostalgia slop in a way that feels both intentional and a little exhausting. From the overall layout of the Care Center to the structure of its objectives, the return of familiar enemy types, and even another trip back to Raccoon City, the game is overflowing with callbacks to earlier entries, but it is especially obsessed with Resident Evil 2.

While exploring the Care Center as Grace, I constantly felt a sense of déjà vu from the Resident Evil 2 remake, because the building is laid out in a way that is almost beat-for-beat reminiscent of the Raccoon City Police Department. You have two main wings, East and West, each stretching across three floors, all connected by a large central lobby that acts as a temporary sanctuary from the monsters roaming the halls. There were multiple points where I genuinely stopped and thought, “This has to be lifted from RPD,” because the similarities go beyond homage and start veering into repetition.

It made me miss the simplicity and relative uniqueness of the Baker house in Resident Evil 7, which, at its core, was just a house. Yes, it had a freaky-ass basement and its fair share of locked doors and puzzles, but it was intimate and contained in a way that made it feel distinct. Compared to the sprawling Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil or the museum-turned-police-station grandeur of RE2, RE7 felt tighter and more focused, and in hindsight, that restraint worked in its favor. Requiem, by comparison, feels bigger but not necessarily fresher.

'Requiem' is peak nostalgia slop in a way that feels both intentional and a little exhausting.

Of the two primary antagonists, one serves mostly as a recurring boss encounter rather than a fully realized character, and the other comes off as a bargain-bin imitation of franchise antagonist Albert Wesker, lacking the charisma and presence that made him iconic. They’re serviceable threats, but they lack the kind of personality that lingers once the credits roll.

There is even what I’m fairly certain is a nod to Silent Hill 2 embedded in the level design — something I can’t spoil — that reinforces the broader impression that the developers are deliberately channeling late-’90s survival-horror iconography rather than pushing the series in a new direction. Leon’s sections in the back half of the game are where this becomes most noticeable, as the nostalgia factor gets dialed up to an almost distracting degree, and moments that are clearly meant to spark recognition instead risk feeling like the game is relying too heavily on past successes rather than confidently standing on its own.

Living through Blister Heads and bad decisions in Resident Evil Requiem Credit: Capcom

If you’ve played Resident Evil Village or the recent remakes, you know the drill already. The twist here comes in Grace’s sections, where killing enemies is often the worst move you can make.

Like the original Resident Evil, zombies don’t always stay dead. In Requiem, some resurrect as Blister Heads, stronger variants that repopulate areas you’ve already cleared. Every corpse becomes a potential problem later, which is brutal for Grace and mostly manageable for Leon. Ammo is scarce, so combat as Grace is usually about stunning foes and running rather than finishing the job. Combat quickly becomes a calculation of risk versus reward, and more often than not, the smarter move is avoidance.

To deal with Blister Heads, you have a few strategic options. One approach is to simply let the problem become Leon’s later; since the two characters share the Care Center at different points in the campaign, you can theoretically clear zombies as Grace and deal with their evolved forms when you’re controlling the better-equipped Leon.

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To permanently stop them, Grace can use her Blood Collector to gather infected blood and craft hemolytic injectors, which cause zombies to explode in a massive, permanent bloodbath. Resources are limited, though, so you have to carefully choose which enemies are worth eliminating for good, echoing the corpse-burning strategy from the 1996 game. It’s a smart system that reinforces her vulnerability and raises the tension.

Less successful is Grace’s stalker enemy, The Girl, who forces you into hiding-focused sequences that often feel more like padding than purposeful horror. That sense of bloat becomes my biggest issue with Requiem. My first run clocked in at nine hours, but it felt more like 13 because some objectives felt stretched.

The most frustrating examples comes near the end of Grace’s time in the Care Center, when the primary objective is to find three quartz stones to unlock a courtyard door. Each stone is hidden in the office of one of the facility’s former directors, locked behind identical puzzle boxes. The puzzle itself is straightforward; solving it is mostly about finding the clues hidden in each room to know the correct order of buttons to press. The issue arises with the final puzzle box, where the button icons have been removed and replaced with Braille. Now, Grace is repeatedly framed in promos as a "booksmart" FBI intelligence analyst, and given that the mechanism visibly shows which symbol corresponds to each button press, it’s not hard to imagine she could logically deduce the solution. Unfortunately for you, Grace (and the writers) think using Emily — the blind child who has been locked in a cage for most of the story — is the best solution for this puzzle. This requires you to carry her through the monster-infested East Wing so she can read the Braille and input the code while defending herself from the zombies.

While carrying Emily, you cannot defend yourself, and if you want to clear out enemies beforehand, you have to awkwardly shuttle her back to the security office, set her down, eliminate threats, and then return to continue the escort. It’s contrived and really insults my intelligence more than anything.

Resident Evil Requiem is disgustingly beautiful Again, oddly familiar. Credit: Capcom

Visually, Requiem is stunning and just as viscerally grotesque as anything the series has delivered before. The gore borders on vomit-inducing in the best possible way, with zombies tearing apart in horrifying detail as you unload into them. The hemolytic injector is the standout here; when used, enemies don’t just die, they erupt into a massive explosion of blood that coats nearly every surface in the room. What’s more impressive is that it lingers. Rooms where you’ve cleared enemies with injectors remain drenched in thick, dark red for the rest of your time there, turning previously neutral spaces into grisly reminders of what happened. It’s disgusting, excessive, and technically impressive all at once.

The gore borders on vomit-inducing in the best possible way.

From an audio standpoint, the game is equally strong. The gunplay sounds punchy and weighty, with each shot delivering a satisfying impact. Outside of the occasional safe room theme, the game is largely music-free, which leaves the ambient sound design to do most of the heavy lifting. Hallways creak, pipes groan, and distant echoes bounce through the Care Center’s walls. The most unsettling touch, though, is that these zombies retain fragments of their former selves. Instead of the usual collection of guttural snarls and raspy moans, they speak. Often it’s just broken phrases — lingering thoughts caught in a loop from the moment they turned. One zombie repeatedly mutters about keeping the lights dim because it’s “his job” to make sure the building isn’t too bright, as if he were mid-task when the infection took hold.

That's supposed to be the sling to Leon's shotgun. Credit: Capcom

Performance-wise, I played on PS5 and had very few issues. Aside from a couple of minor graphical glitches that were fixed by reloading the game, it ran smoothly throughout my playthrough. It continues to be impressive how consistently polished Capcom’s RE Engine titles are at launch, especially at a time when performance problems have become almost expected for major releases on PS5.

Is Resident Evil Requiem worth it? Credit: Capcom

Resident Evil Requiem is a very good game that occasionally gets in its own way. It delivers tense survival-horror with Grace, satisfying action-horror with Leon, some of the most disgusting gore the series has ever produced, and rock-solid performance on PS5. Mechanically, it builds confidently on the foundation laid by Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and the modern remakes, and in many ways, it feels like the cleanest refinement of that formula yet. I’d go as far as to say it’s stronger overall than Village, even if it never quite hits the same highs as 7 did for the franchise.

Because while RE7 wasn’t revolutionary in the grand scheme of horror games, it was transformative for Resident Evil. It felt bold. It felt risky. It dragged the series back into the dark and forced it to recalibrate. Requiem, by contrast, feels safer. Bigger, slicker, and more polished, but rarely daring.

Ultimately, Requiem is mechanically satisfying, visually incredible, genuinely tense in stretches, and packed with enough fan service to make longtime players grin, even if they occasionally roll their eyes. It may not reinvent the wheel like RE7 did for the franchise, but it proves that the RE Engine era still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

'Resident Evil Requiem' is a very good game that occasionally gets in its own way.

The nostalgia is the biggest culprit. The Care Center’s near one-to-one echoes of RPD, the constant visual and structural callbacks to Resident Evil 2, the return to Raccoon City, and the late-game fan service in Leon’s sections all make it clear that this entry is deeply in love with 1998. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it feels like the game relies on muscle memory rather than new ideas.

Even the title, Requiem, feels deliberately engineered to tug at that same thread. A requiem is a mass for the dead — a memorial —and this game treats the Raccoon City Incident like sacred text. It isn’t just revisiting RE2 thematically; it’s staging a funeral for it, constantly reminding you of what was lost there and how it shaped everyone involved, especially Leon.

Without spoiling anything, the ending strongly suggests that the series may finally be ready to move beyond Raccoon City and Umbrella as its narrative crutch and establish a new overarching threat.

The name frames the entire experience as an act of remembrance, which sounds meaningful on paper but, in practice, often translates into repetition. Instead of laying the past to rest, Requiem spends most of its runtime digging it back up.