Dimension travel is a concept that has been in multiple video games over the years. Typically, it's a part of the narrative as the main characters travel to another world or get sent to one. This event occurs in titles like Injustice and Bioshock Infinite, as well as several others.
However, it's a lot rarer to see a game that puts the dimension switching in your hands. In these titles, your appearance in another universe isn't based on a scripted event. You're there because you've used an item or clicked a button to travel to this new realm. The following games all feature that mechanic.
6 Guacamelee!
Guacamelee is an excellent Metroidvania game where you play as a humble farmer whose early attempts at being a hero see him sent to the land of the dead. However, he's given a second chance when he puts on a magical luchador mask that not only sends him back to the living world but also gives him a significant increase in power.
You need to use this newfound strength to take out all the enemies in your way to build up your skills and hopefully rescue your kidnapped beloved. During the journey, you gain the ability to instantly travel between the lands of the living and dead. Each one comes with its own music, colors, items, and enemies. You regularly need to switch between the two worlds to progress in the story.
5 Oninaki
This action RPG is all about death as you play as a watcher who makes sure departed souls are reincarnated. Sometimes the process has to happen by force when the subject isn't ready to move on. The narrative goes into some dark and thought-provoking topics. The dimension traveling element features in the gameplay as with a press of a button, you can teleport between the living and the veil - which is a spirit realm of sorts.
The two dimensions don't look too distinct. The veil has a darker color scheme and a few aesthetic changes, which is just enough for you to realize which world you're currently inhabiting. Yet, you still need to swap at certain points to progress as you can't enter some areas while in the veil. Also, occassionally a soul will be in the other world, so you have to switch to reach them.
4 Quantum Conundrum
Portal set the standard for environmental first-person puzzle games, and one of the lead designers on that title also created Quantum Conundrum. In it, you play a silent protagonist who needs to rescue his mad scientist Uncle. Your family member is stuck in another dimension, and you need to solve a litany of different puzzles to reach him.
To do that, you put on a special glove called the IKE (Interdimensional Kinetic Entity). With it, you can switch between four dimensions on the fly. Each one has its own properties. For instance, the fluffy dimension makes everything light, so you can easily pick up or manipulate heavy objects. The others allow you to either slow down time, reverse gravity, or make objects heavier. The inclusion of these different dimensions adds plenty of intrigue to the game's puzzle-solving.
3 Flipping Death
In the surreal Flipping Death, you have to fill in for the Grim Reaper when he goes on a vacation to the moon. As the new death, you must roam around the land of the dead looking for individuals to possess. Once you possess somebody, you flip into the living world and control them while also reading their thoughts. You use their knowledge and body to solve a bunch of creative puzzles.
The pair of 2D worlds you switch between are very dissimilar. The land of the dead is dark and filled with souls. As for the living world, it's a lot more vibrant and includes plenty of unique-looking buildings. Their one similarity is that they both look like they belong in a pop-up book due to the game's unique art style.
2 The Medium
In this third-person psychological horror game, you play as a spirit medium named Marianne, who travels to an incredibly-detailed abandoned resort called Niwa. Her initial goal is to discover more about her strange powers, but things take a bit of a turn when she gets to the unusual resort.
Throughout The Medium, you regularly journey between the real world and the spirit realm. While you occasionally traverse either world independently, the most interesting moments come when you're in both dimensions at once. On these occasions, the screen splits in two, with you controlling Marianne in both realms. It allows the game to include some unique puzzle sections. Plus, it's a creative way to present two distinct dimensions.
1 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
There are several contenders for the title of the best Legend Of Zelda game, and Link To The Past is one of them. As always, you control Link as he attempts to save Hyrule from the powerful Ganon. Partway through the tale, you're transported into a place once known as the Sacred Realm. The world isn't very sacred anymore as due to Ganon's influence, the realm is a lot more twisted.
For much of the game, you can teleport between the Dark and Light worlds using a combination of the magic mirror and the portal it leaves behind. The two realms are mirrored versions of one another. Unsurprisingly, the Dark world is a lot bleaker as all the grass is brown, and the water doesn't look fresh. Even the living creatures are different as they're more monstrous in the Dark world. You'll have to visit both realms plenty of times while playing through the game.