The Last of Us concept shots depict a game of sneaky survivalism

We don't know much about The Last of Us just yet, but the first several concept shots offer a sneak peek into what we can expect to learn in the coming months. Protagonist duo Joel and Ellie sneak their way past a mean-looking couple of gentlemen in a wrecked 7-11, hang out with deer on their way out of what looks to be San Francisco, and stop to rest by a fire while cracking jokes, all the while escaping from whatever those humanoid ... things were in the trailer.

The latest line from Naughty Dog on The Last of Us puts the duo in a world where the US population was "decimated by a modern plague," leaving only the most hardened survivors behind while nature reclaims man's crumbling structures. The relationship between Joel and Ellie is unclear, though Joel is only referred to as a "ruthless survivor" while Ellie is depicted as "a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years." The gameplay repercussions of those characterizations seem to put Joel in the aggressor role while Ellie handles strategy and puzzles -- we're still not sure how that will play out in terms of player control, unfortunately. Single-player with an NPC partner? Switching off between the two? Co-op? We'll have to wait and see.

And though we're not sure why the two are doing so, they'll be trekking "across what remains of the United States" throughout The Last of Us. Here's hoping they find a good shower somewhere in the process! Head over to OPM for all the (rather gorgeous) concept shots.