Following Naughty Dog mentioning in their 30th Anniversary Art Book (yes, thirty years!) the only game that made them "Look up" from their otherwise platformer-heavy focus, was GTA III - allowing them to create not only one of the best open-world games in recent memory, but one of the greatest video games of all time too. Everything from the Pixar-rivalling animation that helped both lead characters become even more loveable than before, to the open-world crime influence that let you grab a host of incredible weapons and vehicles to bomb around in - it's the brilliant midpoint where you nab a bleedin' hoverboard that everything changes all over again. Suddenly you're channeling Tony Hawk as you grind rails and flip tricks off all manner of surfaces - something that when you factor in the police element, made for some Grand Theft Skater-type moments that were just fantastic to be in the middle of. In the end, every part of Jak II came together flawlessly, and when even something that could've been a half-baked afterthought was executed on with the utmost care, it cemented Naughty Dog as one of the true greats.
