Valkyria Chronicles 1 is one of the most charming games that I've played in quite a long while. It's incredibly unique cel-shaded watercolor art style certainly leads the charge on that front as it lends a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game.
During cutscenes and gameplay there's this paper filter on every edge of the screen that fades out and slowly loses color. I've never seen a game attempt something quite like that before and it pays off in spades.

Looks aside, the worldbuilding from the largest spire of a citadel to the ridiculous rocket launcher lances is incredibly detailed. Sure we're in a pseudo WW2 timeline but they didn't stop there. Slowly and surely you'll see the different cultures at play here. The gear your soldiers use feels tactile and real. It's clear there was care put into researching our real world alternative to this war which makes their twists and alterations all the more interesting. If you're anything like me the watercolor looks hook you in and the love and care put into this world will keep you here.

This stuff wouldn't mean much if the game didn't have good gameplay and that's something you don't have to worry about. This is a solid turn-based strategy RPG that will feel a bit familiar if you've played the newer XCOM titles.
The biggest twist on the formula is that time isn't stopped on the movement phase of your turn, only when you aim or select a unit. I loved this and it made me do a lot of risky maneuvers. Some that costed me the mission and some that paid off in incredible feeling ways. This game will absolutely kick your teeth in but if you stick with it, learn it's rules, you can kick it right back and it will feel SO SATISFYING. It's all about this balance. Your team is fragile in some ways but if you utilize their specific toolsets just right you'll be taking down massive platoons and hulking tanks.

I've seen Valkyria Chronicles described as more of a puzzle game than it is a tactics game and yeah I can totally see where they are coming from with that gripe. Personally I think there is still tactics involved in solving the various "puzzles" these skirmishes present to you and at least a few solutions as well. The feel of solving these battles really worked for me but I could see people being frustrated with hitting a brick wall.

My only real gripe with this game is one level and some strange game design here and there that can feel unfair. For example, infinitely respawning units on a certain desert level.
On the plus side once you get through that level you'll never have to deal with that issue again but it did make me pause and go "Really? So I made that push for nothing?"
It was an issue that stood out in an otherwise fair game.

Finally this brings me to the characters and story. The real heart of the game and ultimately what made me fall in love with it. There are some real charming characters in this and I'm sure you'll find your own favorites. (Mine are Wendy and Largo.) Every character, even units that don't get story time, had thought put into their personality and flaws. You'll have to pay attention to who gets along with who, who might be allergic to a weather condition, and even what gender someone is because that could present issues with bigoted squadmates. You'll feel a real connection towards your squad by the time the credits roll because you've put so much thought into it. There's this masochistic engineer named Homer that I always used and he never failed to crack me up when he got attacked or downed.

As for the story, it's very solid. It can be cliche and inventive in the same breath but it's overall really enjoyable. The driving force of the plot is a simple war story of a militia attempting to stop some tyrants but you'll make plenty of pit stops along that way that slowly and surely give you reason to take the bastard down. It surprised me how such a pretty game is okay with showing horrors of war and exploring how that affects people. I don't want to give too much away but if you enjoy anime and war stories you'll find a lot to like here.

All in all, if you like anime, tactics RPGs, and rich worldbuilding I'd definitely recommend you pick this gem up. You get a lot of content for the price and you won't be forgetting your time with this one any time soon!