Developers over at Bioware are putting together "Mass Effect: Andromeda," which is touted as both different and identical to the previous iterations of the well-loved intergalactic shooter. 

There are a lot of new stuff to see in the upcoming title. While Bioware doesn't regularly drop information about the game, its sporadic spills on select aspects, when combined as one, provide a pretty clear picture. 

The first morsel of information is that Commander Shepard is no longer leading the action and adventure in "Mass Effect: Andromeda." VC Post says that Bioware senior development director Chris Wynn has already said that Shepard is not part of the new story governing the upcoming shooter. Characters from previous "Mass Effect" installments will be of no help in unfolding that story either. This means that players will have to acquaint themselves with a new breed of explorers.

Even with a new character at the fore, with reports saying he or she will be fully customizable, "Mass Effect: Andromeda" is still in the same universe as that of its predecessors. This time, however, the story and the action will be seen through another character's perspective. 

Bioware aims to give "Mass Effect: Andromeda" the same feel as the previous games, with the battle composition unchanged. However, there will be new gameplay elements, and these will serve as the upgrades of the title. There are no specifics about these elements though. 

Also, Bioware has boasted that the Mako, which will be the players' mobile companion as they traverse an uncharted space territory, is getting a broader set of utilizations. 

"Mass Effect: Andromeda" is currently slated for a holiday 2016 release, but Bioware has yet to pinpoint a specific date.