Mass Effect: Andromeda first gameplay shown in behind the scenes video, new races teased

Mass Effect Andromeda E3 2016 — EA released a behind-the-scenes video of Mass Effect: Andromeda at E3 2016. Electronic Arts

While fans will still have to wait for an official release date, a behind-the-scenes look at Bioware's Mass Effect: Andromeda has given us our first official look at gameplay for the upcoming sci-fi RPG due in Q1 2017.

The trailer also teased new races, confirmed the return of vehicles and gave us a brief glimpse of what could by the female lead character. You can watch the footage in the trailer below which was showcased at EA's E3 2016 conference.

The fourth entry in the Mass Effect series was described as a "bigger adventure" at the event and offers a glimpse of the larger scope the franchise is taking as it jumps from the Milky Way galaxy to the uncharted star-systems of Andromeda, where "hostile planets" are "ripe for discovery".

Returning races can be spotted in the footage, namely the Asari and Krogan, as well as a spiky-headed, vicious-looking quadruped that rapidly charges at the player character in one gameplay snippet. A flying creature with segmented 'wings' also appears in a lush forest, while a glowing demon (which looks like a beastie straight out of the recent Doom reboot) can also be seen chewing on a helpless human.

A fleet of ships racing toward a giant ship reminiscent of the original trilogy's citadel also appear, as well as a Mako vehicle seen traversing both desert and turquoise-tinged planets. The footage ends with what appears to be Andromeda's female avatar character, waking up out of cryosleep.

The wait for a firm release date continues however, as EA suggested that it will reveal more details at a later time, which could be referring to August's Gamescom 2016 event in Cologne.