Sound:
Sound design is quite good- voice actors give emotions trough quite well... Most of the time anyways- there are smaller hickups, but nothing that derives from fun. Now, i want to point out that i played game with english dub, so i cannot tell if voice acting is as good as it is in game or not.
Music is also good- lot ofit is lifted from the game and implemented quite well to fit the situation. I did notice few new soundtracks too, but they were also good.
Graphics & art:
Even in 2020, absolutely stunning, even if they can feel bit outdated now. Still, you have to remember it was made in 2009- over a decade ago!
I love how it manages to capture similar style to one used in game, yet also put bit more polished spin on it. The design choice here really manages to bring out some gorgeous views.
Story:
While somewhat cheesy (honestly lot less than games one (which i still love a lot btw)), it is great. Like i said at start of review, if you are going to watch this, make sure to play the game first. And watch the story.
Why? It honestly works best, if you have done so, as there are differences compared to game, although in first half its mostly just "life in war" scenes and more slice of life type. Meaning there is practically no serious combat (except skirmishes and battles that take about 5 minutes) until final 10 episodes or so. While this is serious downside if you purely watch the anime, it is upright treat if you come to this anime from the game.
Still, i cant stress enough that this anime diverges seriously from game at certain aspects, even if major events stay the same... in a way at least (dont worry- this is not a spoiler. You wont get actually spoiled by either anime or the game if you decide to try other bit out). Some changes might not please everyone and while i personally did find a certain change dislikeable, it does not ruin overall experience.
In addition, if you have the chance, please do check out OVA-s of it, as they give even further goodies for fans.
Verict:
while not as appealing as standalone, it is great. Still, for best experience, play the game first. Its obvious it was made with game audience in mind, meaning it is more meant to support the game rather than retell its story.
As VC fan, i find it very enjoyable experience and frankly i hope this franchise gets both more games (Valkyria chronicles 4 was good, but needs to take few pointers from original) and anime to support games.
