Could Sony Santa Monica's First PS4 Project Be Open World?

Sony Santa Monica may be stepping away from the blood stained corridors of God of War and opting for something a little more open on the PlayStation 4. That’s assuming an official job listing contains accurate information on the first-party outfit's long rumoured next generation game, which seeks a level designer with experience in the sandbox space.

The recruitment page suggests that successful candidates would be involved in the creation of "ambient gameplay and side-missions", which are both flagship features in open world games. It also references "navigation and platforming challenges", as well as "fun artificial intelligence layouts". It’s not much to go on, but it’s interesting all the same.

God of War III director Stig Asmussen reportedly set up a new group within the North American developer shortly after the completion of the PlayStation 3 exclusive with the intention of creating a new intellectual property. Speculation has it that the title will take place in outer-space – a recurring rumour that was reinforced when Battlestar Galactica writer Michael Angeli revealed that he was working on the release.