Why did they brand the 2003 game around someone who didn't even want to work there less than a year later?

I'm not sure why I'm so fond of this game. The series still felt like it had a ways to go to really be a deep game.

I want to say it's because they finally got the grappling system down after years of being overly shallow. It's similar to AKI's weak/strong grapple system but with more options (since each directional input sets up different move options when you go in for a grapple).