Following last summer’s announcement, the team at Undead Labs has promised to share the concept art leading up to the release of the second installment of their hit zombie apocalypse survival game, State of Decay 2. The first installment concept art showed us a glimpse at the world of State of Decay 2 showcasing an empty neighborhood. Followed up with week 2 of what Undead Labs is calling “The Big Picture,” is a piece giving us a glimpse at the survivors themselves. Now with the new week of concept art reveals we finally see something a little more serene than the terrifying chaos of a zombie apocalypse.

Following the spotlight on the survivors of State of Decay 2, week 3 of The Big Picture features a double whammy of concept art. With a day and night contrast set, the creative team at Undead labs wanted to show how the contrast of night and day will also alter the contrast and atmosphere of game-play.

Here’s the story behind this week’s image. Not every piece of concept art directly represents something that is in the game. This is a very early piece back when we were working out what a slightly more urban environment might look like, and you shouldn’t expect to see it verbatim. What you can expect to see is what we we’re really doing, which was figuring out what our colors should be under various lighting conditions. It was rigged specifically so we could play with different levels of night and day. In fact, there are two versions of this exact piece. This one is rigged for day, and the other is rigged for night.

Now catching up to the most recent concept art released February 10th, we see quite the contrast to the previously crowded urban landscape. This most recent piece displays a more serene setting in an otherwise chaotic post apocalyptic world showing that beauty can still exist among chaos.

Sometimes the story is a simple one. When we asked Art Director Doug what the purpose behind this week’s concept art was, he just said, “That one was really a mood piece more than anything. State of Decay has always tried to emphasize the quiet moments and the beauty from a still world. It helps punctuate the moments when things go ….bad.”

What do you guys think so far of the “Big Picture” concepts for State of Decay 2? It looks like the creative teams at Undead Labs is very dedicated to making a much more in depth experience for their players, and that is awesome. Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments, we’d love to talk about what you guys think. Also while you’re at it be sure to give us a follow on Twitter for all your gaming news with live updates 24/7!