With Mass Effect: Andromeda's release date drawing closer by the second, BioWare has decided to provide fans of the science fiction franchise with a much better understanding of the forthcoming title's exploration and discovery aspects by putting out a fresh gameplay trailer focusing on just that. As a matter of fact, BioWare has declared exploration to be one of the most important aspects of Mass Effect: Andromeda, as the studio says the trailer dives "straight into the heart" of the game.

As seen in the trailer below, Mass Effect: Andromeda fans are taken from the bridge of the Tempest ship to the surfaces of many unique and varied worlds, and given a solid run down in regards to the importance of exploration. Fans will be given the ability to traverse across the Helius Cluster, which is a portion of the Andromeda Galaxy that contains dozens of star systems, and their respective Tempest ships will be the ones to guide them there.

As evidenced in Mass Effect: Andromeda's "Exploration & Discovery" trailer, the Tempest gives players an expanded, real-time look at everything going on outside the ship, which is a departure from the views that could be had on the Normandy vessel from the franchise's previous entries. Plus, Andromeda's all-terrain vehicle known as the Nomad gives players the chance to travel at fast rates across planetary surfaces. Additionally, players will be able to call down "forward stations" to key locations on the planets, which will act as waypoints for "fast travel," enable loadout changes, let players recall the Nomad if they've misplaced it, and provide the chance to resupply and be protected from environmental hazards.

Furthermore, exploring worlds and accomplishing specific tasks in Mass Effect: Andromeda will help raise players' "viability" with planets' locals, with quelling any threats being one of the best ways to raise one's status as a trustworthy character. Doing so will eventually create outposts and bring about upgrades to the Nexus, which could be described as Andromeda's version of the Citadel space station from the original Mass Effect trilogy. The Nexus serves as players' home bases away from the Tempest, and as it grows, players can awaken more colonists, which enact fresh perks that serves as your home away from home. As the Nexus expands, you'll be able to awaken more colonists, who will enable fresh perks and advantages in various categories.

Finally, there will, of course, be mysteries for Mass Effect: Andromeda players to solve, so whether it's investigating wreckage, or tracking down leads in outer space, fans should have plenty to do, especially when it comes to unlocking the secret behind the network of ancient vaults located on different planets throughout the game. Taking all of this into consideration, it's no wonder why Mass Effect: Andromeda's file size will be so huge on its supported platforms.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is set to release on March 21, 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Mass Effect – YouTube