Ever since its debut video in December, The Last of Us has shot to the top of many gamers' most anticipated upcoming games. The trailer ran on in-game assets and the engine, but it didn't show an actual part from the final game. We visited Naughty Dog's studio to see a full segment of The Last of Us played live, talked to the team members about their inspiration, and landed a ton of details you won't find anywhere else. 

If you've missed the basic setup for the post-apocalyptic world that protagonists Joel and Ellie must battle through, be sure to check out our story on the science behind The Last of Us to prepare yourself for the issue that launches next week.

Be sure to return to gameinformer.com later today for our first batch of The Last of Us content. At 4:00PM Central Time we will debut an exclusive set of three in-game screenshots.

[UPDATE: The screenshots are live right now. Go check them out.]

In the issue we've also got big features on the Interactive Achievement Awards, the implications online passes will have in the future, a new flow chart lampooning first-person shooters, a complete rundown and grading of the PlayStation Vita hardware, a big look forward to the year ahead, and much more.

Click on the images below to see full-size versions of the cover.

Print subscribers will get their copies throughout the next week and the digital version will go live on February 7 (click here to subscribe to our digital edition).

The Last of Us releases on PlayStation 3 in late 2012/early 2013. In the meantime, check back for hub updates throughout the month for video interviews, a special edition podcast, and a few surprises.