E3 2015: Mass Effect 4: Andromeda announced at EA conference

EA has kicked off its E3 press conference with an announcement trailer for Mass Effect 4, which has dropped the number and will be called Mass Effect: Andromeda. The game being developed at Bioware is targetting a "Holiday 2016" release.

The long-awaited follow-up to 2012's controversial trilogy-concluding Mass Effect 3 will tell a new story following a new lead character in a new galaxy (presumably the Andromeda galaxy) and will also see the return of the original game's exploration vehicle, the M35 Mako.

You can watch the trailer made in-engine below...

There were a number of other hints in the trailer as well. The lead character remains masked, hinting at full customisation which may include the ability to choose a specific alien race as well. The is also set to the tune of Johnny Cash's (Ghost) Riders In The Sky, a decidedly Wild West-sounding song which hints at a frontier feel to the game, and a greater focus on exploration.

With the Wild West also comes racial conflict, which has been a constant theme in Bioware's sci-fi series and which is likely to return.

A screenshot starring the Mako was also released and is embedded below.