Editing Between Worlds

{{UserPageExtension}}
{{IB-Level
 |image      = BetweenWorlds.png
 |id         = 93878047
 |creator    = xXLOCOXx
 |created    = [[Update 2.1]]
 |difficulty = {{Hard}}
 |stars      = 5
 |diamonds   = 7
 |length     = 2m 44s (XL)
 |objects    = 167,009
 |downloads  = 1.71M
 |likes      = 155.2K
 |rating     = Epic
 |artist     = [https://fivemoreminutes.newgrounds.com/ fivemoreminutes]
 |music      = [https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/1241573 Between Worlds (BGM)]
 |musicid    = 1241573
 |previous   = [[Shards of Siberia]]
 |next       = [[WhyMeWhyMeWhyMeWhyMe]]
}}
'''Between Worlds''' is a [[Update 2.1|2.1]] Hard level by xXLOCOXx, published on 27 August 2023. It is the third level of the [[Gauntlets|Portal Gauntlet]].

The level centres on interdimensional travel. It follows the player as they discover and activate a mysterious device that transports them through a series of different worlds. It is particularly known for its use of masking, synchronisation and transitions that alter the environment as the player passes through spatial rifts. The song, 'Between Worlds (BGM)', was created specifically for the level.

==Concept and production==
Between Worlds was designed around moving through several dimensions within one continuous level. Instead of presenting each environment as an unrelated section, xXLOCOXx connected them using recurring portals, spatial rifts and transitions.

Its masking effects are most prominently used during the central portion of the level. The cube passes through areas in which the environment appears with different colour schemes and visual properties. These changes occur alongside changes in the music, making the visual effects part of the level's synchronisation rather than purely decorative additions.<ref name="Viprin">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg-YzsRDhG8 "Between Worlds" by xXLOCOXx | Geometry Dash 2.11] — Viprin, 27 August 2023.</ref>

The song, 'Between Worlds (BGM)' by fivemoreminutes, was produced specifically for the level. Its shifts in tone and intensity correspond to the player's movement between environments. Both Viprin and Nexus highlighted the relationship between the song and the level's transitions in their showcases.<ref name="Nexus">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKXP2i2CC-o Between Worlds by xXLOCOXx | Geometry Dash] — Nexus [GD], 29 August 2023.</ref>

==Description==
===Overview===
Between Worlds begins in the ruins of a forest, where the player encounters a mysterious interdimensional travel device. Activating the device transports the player away from the original environment and begins a journey through several visually distinct worlds.

The level repeatedly uses rifts that change the environment's appearance as the player passes through them. These rifts alter the colours, saturation and contrast of the surrounding scene, creating the impression that the player has crossed into a different version of the same location. The effects are closely synchronised with changes in the music.

Masking restricts visual effects to particular areas of the screen. When the player moves through a rift, one visual style can be seen inside it while another remains visible outside. Passing fully through the rift causes the alternate appearance to cover the environment. This lets the level shift between worlds without relying only on conventional fades or cuts.

In addition to the smaller rifts, the level contains larger transitions between its principal environments. These transitions depict the player being transported through space before arriving in another world. Each destination has its own colours, atmosphere, structures and effects, while retaining the level's overall visual identity.

The environments become increasingly abstract as the level progresses. Natural scenery and ruins blend with distorted structures, unusual lighting, and areas where the surrounding world appears unstable. Despite the visual changes, the repeated appearance of the travel device and spatial rifts connects the sections into a single journey.

The conclusion returns to the level's central idea of travelling between dimensions and provides a visual resolution to the journey.

===Level===
Between Worlds's gameplay was designed to remain accessible while allowing the player to observe the decoration, effects, and environmental transitions.

The level primarily uses straightforward cube gameplay, though other game-modes appear as the player travels between environments. Inputs are generally synchronised with prominent beats and changes in the song. Gameplay often slows or becomes less demanding during major visual sequences, keeping the transitions as the main focus.

During the rift sequences, the player continues moving through the level while the environment changes around the icon. Although these effects can make the layout appear more complex, the underlying gameplay remains consistent with the five-star difficulty.

==Gameplay==
{{VC|hKXP2i2CC-o}}

==Reception==
Between Worlds received an Epic rating. The community particularly praised its concept, atmosphere, masking, and synchronisation.

Viprin described the level's atmosphere as being supported by its synchronisation with the custom song. He also highlighted the rift effects, masking, and transitions between worlds, noting that the gameplay was deliberately simple enough to let the player focus on the visuals.<ref name="Viprin"/>

Nexus similarly praised the level's central concept and how its colours, saturation, and contrast change when the player passes through rifts. He also highlighted the fact that the song was produced for the level and closely follows its visual changes.<ref name="Nexus"/>

Between Worlds was later selected as the third level of the Portal Gauntlet. The Gauntlet was released during [[Update 2.2]] on 3 March 2024. Its placement reflects the level's theme of travelling through portals and entering different environments.

==Trivia==
*The song was created specifically for the level.<ref name="Viprin"/><ref name="Nexus"/>
*Between Worlds is one of three XL levels in the Portal Gauntlet, alongside [[Azimuth]] and [[WhyMeWhyMeWhyMeWhyMe]].

==References==
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