Mass Effect: Andromeda Trailer Breakdown: Everything We Know So Far

Mass Effect: Andromeda is the newest instalment in Bioware's epic space opera series. The game won't be released until 2017, and until recently, details had been quite scarce - even through work began immediately following the completion of Mass Effect 3 in 2012.

After the release of the newest Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer, there's a lot of new information about the game. But what does it all mean, and what do we know about Andromeda now? The trailer raises almost as many questions as it answers, plus there's a lot of hidden detail that even links in with past trailers, alongside past games in the series.

With the new trailer and the associated Andromeda website receiving an update - as well as a growing investigation by users on NeoGAF - we can discern details that give us an idea of what Andromeda is shaping up to be at this point.

So, using these sources (and my own considerable knowledge of all things Mass Effect) I've prepared an analysis of the Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer, and everything we know about the game so far.

The Mass Effect: Andromeda Initiative trailer starts off with a shot we've already seen a few times, of a character overseeing construction of one of the Arks. The difference this time however is that we're not seeing Alec Ryder this time, but a female character.

This is Jien Garson, founder of the Andromeda Initiative, and the character who begins to voice over narration.

Although the Arks have been built for four of the races from the Milky Way galaxy, there's still every chance we will see the others eventually in this new era of Mass Effect as Jien Garson describes the journey to Andromeda as "a major milestone for humanity, as well as the other species of our galaxy."

The trailer then transitions from the Moon/Earth shot in to the stasis room seen in the EA Play 2016 Andromeda trailer.

Jien Garson then confirms the name of the human Ark, Hyperion, but also tells us that some of the humans (and likely members of other races too) will be travelling with her on board The Nexus - the large ship that is accompanying the Arks, acting as a central base station of sorts.

Pathfinders, the guides for each Ark, are also introduced in the trailer. Described as a blend of scientist and soldier, their job is to lead their Ark in the search for habitable worlds. Interestingly, there's one per Ark, so we may well see the others, either in further trailers or the full game. While not as cool as a council Spectre from the original trilogy, Pathfinders are still bound to be pretty bad ass. We also already know that Alec Ryder, your dad, is the Hyperion's Pathfinder at the start of the game.