If games were judged based on their story-lines alone, then Naughty Dog would still be number one, as they are the masters of emotional and compelling plot threads within the medium. Fortunately, Naughty Dog can also walk the walk, as they've created some of the finest examples of minute-to-minute gameplay ever. Even so far back as Crash Bandicoot and the Jak series, Naughty Dog was expertly combining narrative and gameplay into an amazing mix. Their refined, polished gameplay was always given extra weight by a driving story that took you across every inch of their immaculately designed worlds. These days, Naughty Dog has become the ninja masters of creating games that speak to every part of a gamer, and reward them for their commitment. The Uncharted series has continued to bridge the gap between film and game, with rich, complex characters in huge set-pieces showing just how much technical wizardry goes into every game they make. They've lead the charge of games as art with titles such as The Last Of Us, a title that proves just how affective this medium can be, with its believable characters, gripping story and startling attention to detail. Naughty Dog has soared above all its competitors, which says a lot about them considering how fantastic the other nine developers on this list are. While some of them have mastered storytelling, and a few have created some unique gameplay mechanics, Naughty Dog is the only one who can do it all in one complete package. They are the masterclass of game developers, and the best company working today without question. But there's no doubt that we've probably missed a ton of great developers out there, as this is only a small portion of the talented people working today. So dive into the comments and let us know who your favourite game developer is!
