Talk about your left-turns, Naughty Dog went from a cutesy, Banjo-Kazooie-style two-hero platformer to a GTA-inspired open-world shooter. They ditched the fact Jak was a mute, threw him to the mercy of one Baron Praxis who tortured him for years and gave him a gritty tone of voice - and above all had the loveable twosome end up in a parallel universe where hover-cars and police patrols filled the streets. In addition, across the course of the game you'd eventually gain access to a hoverboard and a raft of beefy weapons, before returning to the platforming sections of old in between more vehicular-based action. it might seem like a truly strange combination, but it worked in ways no one saw coming. Plus, it was wrapped up in more of the developer's immaculately expressive animation, giving life to everyone from Praxis to the heroes and beyond - and when the rollout of new abilities was perfectly tied to the 'city needs a saviour' story, it came together in a way that few games in this genre get anywhere near.
