BAFTA award winning writer and game director Cory Barlog is returning to Sony Santa Monica after quitting the studio nearly five years ago. While Barlog didn’t disclose what he’s working on, he hinted that it’s “freaking huge.”
Barlog is probably best known for his work on Sony’s God of War series, where he served as the lead animator on the first game and directed the second. After his departure from Sony Santa Monica in 2007, Barlog joined Crystal Dynamics, where he directed the cutscenes for last March’s Tomb Raider reboot.
In a (long) post on the official Playstation Blog, Barlog announced his triumphant return to Sony. While he isn’t ready to reveal what he’s working on yet, he says that his current project his “huge,” and that he’s currently focused with putting together a top notch development team. “We’re putting together a team as I type this, an Ocean’s 11 kind of thing,” Barlog wrote. “We are searching the world high and low for the best of the BEST to come and be on the ground floor of this endeavor. So, hey, if you are a freaking rock star unafraid to roll your sleeves up and take risks, reading this thinking that your current digs are feeling…well…a bit small, a bit dull and in need of some excitement – you need to contact me at Sony Santa Monica.”
Your guess is as good as mine as to what Barlog is working on — a next-gen God of War sequel? A brand new IP? A reboot of Backyard Wrestling: Don’t Try This At Home (which Barlog worked on pre-GoW)? Your guess is as good as mine, and honestly, all speculation is equally valid at this point. Personally, I’m hoping they’re giving him the reigns of the God of War franchise — GoW2 was my favorite game in the series, so if anyone can make God of War truly great again (I’m sorry, I didn’t like Ascension much, despite its fun multiplayer mode,) it’s definitely Barlog.
