The Last of Us in-game screenshots reveal new gameplay details

After revealing that the March issue of GameInformer would cover Naughty Dog's highly anticipated The Last of Us, the website released a batch of fresh in-game screenshots.  Although the magazine will feature over 20 screenshots, yesterday they gave fans a tease of what to expect.

Not only do the screenshots provide fans with some of the first official in-game looks at The Last of Us, but they also provide some pretty big details about gameplay and what fans can expect.

Naughty Dog takes an interesting approach to a post-apocalyptic world.  While many would expect a dark, bland, grayish look, Naughty Dog has created a vivid, lush environment filled with vibrant colors and overgrown plants.  At first look, it's clear that Uncharted provided some inspiration with the overgrown vegetation.

For each screenshot, GameInformer provided some related gameplay details to go along with it.

The first image shows game protagonist Joel being struck with a wooden plank.  This shows that combat in The Last of Us includes both gunplay and melee attacks.  It is said that weapons will break after repeated use (similar to Dead Island).  This means you will have to frequently scavenge for new items by searching the ruins of the cities.  You can also see some great character detail, but the truck in the back isn't very impressive.

The Last of Us - Joel hit with plank

As you can see by the yellow bridge in the background, the location of this is Pittsburgh.  While it's unclear if the entire game will take place in this city, you can get a taste of how the environment will look.  Despite it being in a run-down city, Naughty Dog has used "natural growth" to bring a more vibrant look to the game.  It's very similar to what you'd see in Uncharted.

The Last of Us location

The screenshot below is a great look at Naughty Dog's use of shadows and lighting to create a visually interesting environment.  In it, you'll also see Ellie behind Joel.  Many worry that The Last of Us will be a tedious escort game, but the developers have stressed that it won't be one long escort mission.  In fact, GameInformer stated "she always managed to keep up, yet stay out of the way.  She didn't seem to need any babysitting at all."

It was also revealed that you won't control Ellie in the game and that her AI is one of the team's primary area of focus.

The Last of Us - Joel and Ellie

It's hard not to be impressed with these first screenshots.  Naughty Dog is taking a totally different approach to the post-apocalyptic world we're so used to seeing.  Although it's still a scary world, Naughty Dog has managed to make it seem beautiful.

Combine in the amazing environmental feel with what appears to be some pretty fun gameplay mixing Uncharted with Dead Island, and The Last of Us is shaping up to be a great game.