Fan-made Nier: Automata cartoon turns out pretty great

This Nier: Automata cartoon made by fans looks better than some of what's shown on TV by professionals, to be honest.

Ever wished Nier: Automata was a cartoon or anime series so you could just sit back and watch it without having to play?

Sure, you could be lazy and watch a Twitch streamer or archived clip on YouTube, but seeing the characters fully animated as if they were part of a real-life anime series is so much cooler.

A new Nier: Automata short has appeared on YouTube, directed by one Vincent Chansard, who studied at the animation school Gobelins. It's extremely impressive work, brought to life by just six people. It's got a heaping helping of action, and despite the fact that it's just about a minute long, it's one of the coolest minutes in video game-related animation you may just ever see.

With work like this painstakingly pored over frame by frame by fans for free, it really makes you wonder how abominations like the Berserk series from 2016 ever got made, because they rely on some truly awful CG animation. We hope that Chansard and his team continue this excellent work, because everyone in the known universe would love to see a full-length series based on this short sample.

If you haven't played Nier: Automata, you're really missing out. Shacknews reviewed it and gave it a 9 out of 10:

"As I closed in on the final endings for Nier: Automata, I found myself looking back on my time with it and wondering how I'd encapsulate all that into a review. Like its predecessor, this is something that must be experienced to be properly understood. At the time, I was sure I could see where it was going, and that fact left me wondering if this entry lacked that extra something that made the first Nier so memorable. As I worked my way through the final dungeon, Automata had something to prove in my mind. Would it simply stay the course, or would it save something special for the end? If you know Yoko Taro's work, you've probably guessed the answer to that question. Never before have the very credits held such sway over my opinion of a game. I leave Nier: Automata behind, not just pleased with it, but enraptured by it. Hopefully you will too."

If you happen to have skills like these, you should absolutely be breaking the door down finding work in animation – we'd totally pay you if we could, dude!