The "Tales of" series is a niche JRPG game franchise with a small but passionate fanbase. "Tales of Vesperia," originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2008, is arguably one of the best of the series, at least the way it is hailed by its fans. It was also subject to a bit more drama: after years of English releases, "Vesperia" was the last for a long time to get a Western release, until fan outcry eventually convinced Namco Bandai to continue localizing the games in 2012 (in between, a small number of portable titles were forever lost to English audiences), until it's final console game in 2016. "Tales of" is no stranger to anime, although it took some time for any adaptations to get any real traction. A strange thing, since moreso than any other game series, "Tales" employs a deliberate 'anime' art style to its characters, themes and settings, making each entry not unlike playing through a long anime series. "Tales of Vesperia - The First Strike" is a feature-film prequel to the Xbox 360 game, and while originally made available through 'special editions' of the game in Japan, it eventually got released by Funimation in North America, who in turn provided enough care to dub key characters with the same English cast of the game. Unlike most game-adaptations into film, "The First Strike" is, impressively, a solid movie, although forcing itself to tie with the game feels like a detriment. In the game, the lead character was Yuri Lowell, a rogue and vigilante in the captial city of the setting. Being an adult with dark motives and a history, he was a distinct lead for a JRPG, and his rivalry and opposing motivations with lead soldier and friend Flynn Scifo made the story's drama memorable. As a prequel, "The First Strike" covers a time when Yuri and Flynn were both in the army together, working side by side. Their town is often attacked by large monsters, making the soldier force busy and not void of loss. Due to poltiical motivations behind the scenes, Yuri and Flynn are each forced to go through traumatic experiences and losses, further dividing them. Eventually, they learn the truth behind the man who organized certain events, ultimately stopping him before Yuri quits the army altogether. Cue the hit opening for the game, "Ring a Bell," to play over the credits.Generally, the movie knows what to do with the story. It remains in control of its pacing (albiet a bit slow, especially for viewers expecting an action-packed fantasy), and keeps the core of the story with the drama between Yuri and Flynn, the best and most compelling element. From the game, we know the two have a history, making this film an interesting watch for fans, but even without knowledge of the game, it works well as a fascinating medival fantasy. In English, Troy Baker and Sam Reigel return to voice Yuri and Flynn, and provide an excellent performance that alone sells the movie. Production I.G., the studio that provided the animation for the opening and cutscenes of the game, returns for the film, and while not quite on par with the absolute best the studio made, it's clear they took the project seriously, with seriously strong and consistent animation throughout, without looking too out of place to the original game or its scenes. 
Where the movie falters is in the fact that it's a tie-in to "Tales of Vesperia." Parts of the game had a lot of convoluted story elements, regarding the magic element called "Blastia" that the kingdom relies on to power its electricity and weaponry (also a source behind what causes animals to mutate and cause havoc), and with a complex political hierarchy with varying motivations. The game has a large cast, with at least six distinct characters joining your playable RPG party. Unfortunately, all of that has a part to play in the movie's exposition, even though most of it could have been written out or ignored without losing the story. While not all the characters appear, many do make cameos that have no relavence to the plot. Ultimately, the enemy of this film feels like a last-minute write-in to avoid any major clashes with the original game's story. And as for visual design, since most of the story revolves around soldiers in uniform (the SAME uniform), variation is more of an issue than the game was, regardless of how well detailed or designed said uniforms are. So while I would still recommend the film to anime fans who haven't played the game, existing fans of the game will definitely get the most of the movie, even though (as interesting as the story is) it also isn't required viewing to get the most out of the universe.It's a shame that certain rules had to be met for the movie to follow the game, since enough skill in the writing and direction of "Tales of Vesperia - The First Strike" is present to make it a strong effort than many original anime films. If available to you, I'd absolutely recommend watching it, but your mileage may vary based on your existing knowledge of the game. Even as a newcomer, you might be impressed enough with the movie to seek out the game shortly after. There aren't many game adaptations or tie-ins that can claim that: "The First Strike" is an impressive feat, no matter which way you slice it, even if it isn't pure gold.