Between Worlds
93878047
xXLOCOXx
Between Worlds is an 2.1 Hard level by xXLOCOXx, published on 27 August 2023. It is the third level of the 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."Between Worlds" by xXLOCOXx | Geometry Dash 2.11 — Viprin, 27 August 2023.
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.Between Worlds by xXLOCOXx | Geometry Dash — Nexus [GD], 29 August 2023.
Description
Between Worlds consists of five environments connected by transitions involving a recurring interdimensional device. The playable sections use the cube throughout, with straightforward inputs designed around the level's visuals and synchronisation.
- 0-18%: The level begins in a bright forest containing grass, trees, fallen leaves and the remains of stone structures. The cube follows the grassy ground and jumps across small platforms formed from ruined pillars and masonry. Sunbeams pass through the trees, while leaves and white particles move through the foreground. Near the end of the section, the cube approaches a tall stone device marked with circular and star-like symbols. The device begins glowing, and vertical beams of light cover the screen as the cube is transported to the next environment.
- 18-38%: The cube arrives in a purple environment constructed from Gothic architecture. The platforms contain pointed windows and decorative patterns resembling stained glass, while churches, railings, benches, street lamps and pieces of damaged buildings appear throughout the foreground and background. Parts of the scenery float or rest at unusual angles. Irregular rifts temporarily reveal a darker blue version of the same area, changing the scene's colour and contrast without interrupting the gameplay. The section concludes at another interdimensional device, followed by a blue vertical transition.
- 38-57%: The third environment is a bright sky realm above a layer of clouds. White platforms, pillars and floating structures contrast with a blue sky containing a crescent moon, a bright sun and a distant city. Large angular crystals in red, yellow and green float around the path. Masking effects repeatedly change portions of the environment: some rifts reveal a dark red version containing outlined crystals, while others apply a yellow-green colour scheme to the scenery. The cube eventually reaches another device and is transported through a pale pink transition.
- 57-76%: The fourth environment uses a warm pink, orange and yellow palette. The cube travels across rocky platforms decorated with magenta grass, white ornamental patterns, yellow-leaved trees and hanging lanterns. Silhouettes of buildings and other structures appear in the background. Black and red rifts move across the screen and reveal an alternate version of the environment rendered in dark red line art. In this version, the scenery, trees, lanterns and a circular sun are outlined against an almost black background. The normal and alternate versions repeatedly replace one another as the cube proceeds towards the next device.
- 76-91%: A red vertical transition leads into a monochrome abstract environment. The cube moves across dark, uneven platforms surrounded by floating spheres, triangular fragments, blurred circles and white ornamental shapes. Many of the spheres pass through the foreground and partially obscure the gameplay. Unlike the earlier environments, this world has no distinct natural or architectural colour palette, instead using shades of black, white and grey. At the end, the cube approaches a damaged or partially separated version of the interdimensional device.
- 91-100%: The gameplay transitions into a closing animation. The environment disappears, leaving a black screen with a small outlined square containing progressively smaller squares. The object changes position and rotation as the music concludes. The screen then flashes white before the level is completed.
Gameplay
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.
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.
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.
- Between Worlds is one of three XL levels in the Portal Gauntlet, alongside Azimuth and WhyMeWhyMeWhyMeWhyMe.