2024 Golden Lance Award for Best New IP

New IPs are the lifeblood of the industry. They provide creators with the maximum amount of flexibility to bring artistic visions to life. They are inherently risky. To create something from nothing always is. That is what makes it so critical to celebrate them though. New IPs are dreams come to life. New IP, particularly big-budget new IP, had a banner year this year. Where many times this award looks at smaller independent developers, this year heavy hitters came to play. That said, here is the winner of Lords of Gaming’s 2024 Golden Lance Award for Best New IP.

Winner – Metaphor ReFantazio

It’s no surprise that Metaphor: ReFantazio won Best New IP during our Golden Lance award voting. Studio Zero’s partnership with publisher Atlus allowed them to build upon familiar mechanics from past titles, such as those seen in the Persona series. These include features like deep social links and balancing everyday life activities with dungeon crawling. At the same time, however, we were introduced to completely new mechanics within the familiar formula, such as the Archetype system. This addition provides a wealth of combat variety across the entire cast of characters. 

Studio Zero created something truly special with Metaphor: ReFantazio. Although the journey through the game takes about 60-80 hours, you’ll find yourself wanting to see it through to the end. The exceptional cast of characters, combined with the fantastic story, blends seamlessly with the fun and varied systems. This complete package easily cements the game as one of the best JRPGs.