'Mass Effect 4' Release Date on PS4, Xbox One and PC: Launch in Q4 2016 Expected

Although "Mass Effect 4" has been in development since 2012, the much-anticipated sequel will unlikely be released this year.

Industry sources said the most likely release date will be in the fourth quarter of 2016, although an earlier release in Spring might be possible. More details will be announced during the E3 2015.

"Mass Effect" is a science fiction action role-playing third person shooter video game series developed by BioWare and released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows, with the third installment also released on the Wii U.

The trilogy revolves around a soldier named Commander Shepard whose mission is to save the galaxy from a race of powerful mechanical beings called the Reapers and their agents.

"Mass Effect 4" will not be released for previous generation consoles. It can only be played on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.

BioWare's General Manager Aaron Flynn said the game will be visually breathtaking because it will be made on the FrostBite gaming engine, the same engine used for the "Battlefield" series which made it visually appealing. Flynn also said the gaming studio's popular role-playing title, "Dragon Age: Inquisition," also featured the same engine, which improved visual quality on both PC and game consoles.

"Mass Effect 4" will still be a cooperative multi-player game along with a much better and faster new version of Mako.

The story will have a fresh character different from Commander Shepard. His companions will also not be present. The story will be set in an entirely new region in space, different from "Mass Effect 3," which received a lot of negative feedback from gamers and fans. The series can therefore start fresh.

The new game will also focus on exploration, which included discovering other races and species and exploration of characters' abilities and skills as well.