Summary
- Villains targeting different dimensions offers unique challenges and opportunities for heroes - 117 characters
- Games like Bayonetta 3, Spiderman Shattered Dimensions, & Super Paper Mario showcase dimensional gameplay - 117 characters
- Handling multiple realities tests heroes' abilities and pushes them to maintain balance between realms - 116 characters
Video games normally have villains aim to dominate or change just the Earth. It’s an easier scope to target just one reality. One of the more complicated, imaginative factors involves dealing with different dimensions.
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Dimensions open up many possibilities for changing scenery, reality rules, or character specialties. It’s very ambitious for a criminal to target what’s outside his usual reality by invading another realm or using his realms’ effects to hinder another. Some other realms offer something more different than others, which can be utilized for the heroes' advantage. What’s usually needed for the protagonist is to bounce between his world and another area to stabilize the balance between them.
10 Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3
- Released
- October 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Bayonetta
- Platform(s)
- Switch
A huge threat in Bayonetta 3 aim to destroy the Trinity of Realities with one of their main obstacles being Bayonetta. Her near-death condition forced her to entrust her remaining power to the new character Viola, which she used to retreat to another reality and warn an alternate Bayonetta. After the mysterious force followed to invade another world, the main Bayonetta stood to face the strange threat.
Once she heard about Violet’s explanation and request, she’s left with no choice but to accept by traveling to the Thule Islands. The secret location houses entrances to other realms, which Bayonetta used to travel to an alternate Tokyo to find the ancient gears to stop the multiverse-ending peril.
9 Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Light And Darkness
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Released
- December 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Super Smash Bros.
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Platform(s)
- Switch
Super Smash Bros roster have fought tooth and nail to restore their reality and control. The World of Light in Super Smash Bros Ultimate forces the expanded fighters to fight one last time for their world’s peace from the gods and supernatural armies.
Not only does Galeem take control of the roster, but Dharkon as well once he invades into the world from his dark realm. The authoritative gods don’t work together as they fight for the right to own the Super Smash Bros universe. The characters have to explore two large maps to face both the army of light and darkness before restoring their reality from the gods’ clutches.
8 Spiderman Shattered Dimensions
Thread Of Reality
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
- Released
- September 7, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Beenox
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Franchise
- Spider-Man
- Genre(s)
- Action
Spiderman Shattered Dimensions occurred once the Amazing Spiderman accidentally broke an ancient tablet that tears space and reality. Spiderman would have to repair the tablet which broke off into different dimensions. Luckily, each dimension sheltered its own heroes: Spiderman 2099, Noir Spiderman, and Ultimate Spiderman.
The four vigilantes must use their excelling abilities to retrieve the tablet pieces like symbiote Spiderman's crowd control attacks and noir Spiderman's stealth takedowns. Each dimension is designed very differently to test the heroes’ capabilities, letting them explore a vibrant advanced future, the dark gritty past, or the familiar standard present.
7 Oninaki
Spiritual Realm
Oninaki
- Released
- July 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Tokyo RPG Factory
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The world of Oninaki holds an interesting harsh rule to its reality. When a beloved person passes away, people aren't allowed to mourn for them. This isn’t easy to follow for those with a human soul, which harms the spirits’ path to pass away properly. Any lost spirit will twist their nature, turning them into monsters.
The monsterous spirits are handled by the watchers, professionals who step between the living world and the Beyond. This other realm houses spirits and beasts, which can invade into the light reality. It can even switch the world’s layout, letting the watchers like the protagonist proceed with their usual job.
6 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Where's Light, There's Darkness
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Released
- April 13, 1992
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- SNES, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past gives Link a huge responsibility to carry when exploring Hyrule Kingdom. His main quest is familiar once he gains the request to save princess Zelda, similar to his previous Link incarnations. After obtaining the magic mirror, his adventure shifts to another realm separate from the Light World.
The Dark World was formerly known as the Sacred Realm before Ganondorf’s growing corruption twisted its structure for the worst. It parallels the Light World but with more danger to make any normal human vulnerable. It’s necessary for Link to use both realities to save his kingdom like finding alternate routes, items, or people.
5 Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Released
- June 11, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Franchise
- ratchet and clank
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
Ratchet & Clank Rift Apar t takes Ratchet and Clank back on their usual large adventure through space. When Clank introduced the repaired Dimensionator to Ratchet, the villainous Dr. Nefarious appeared to steal the device. Their conflict would result in chaos as Ratchet and Clank would travel through different dimensions before their sudden separation. This outcome welcomed another lombax that would join the separated duo on their journey to stop their stubborn villains.
Both lombaxes play similarly with the same utilities as they explore different planets and dimensions. One new mechanic involves the rift tether, a gadget that warps the protagonists through different areas. It raises their movement capabilities and crowd control as they seamlessly travel through arenas filled with gun-blazing enemies.
4 Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
Being Still
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom introduced another realm thats slowly invades the Hyrule Kingdom: the Still World. It’s a dark setting that engulfs anything from its counterpart world of light before disintegrating it. Any living being that falls into its spreading darkness would turn into stone.
What’s worse is several monsters can climb out from the dark portals to spread havoc among Hyrule Kingdom, including twisting its unfavorable fate. With Link missing, Zelda must use her Tri Rod powers to explore the Still World, save her captured allies, and restore her broken kingdom.
3 Sonic Frontiers
Cyberchase
Sonic Frontiers
- Released
- November 8, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Franchise
- Sonic
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Sonic Frontiers trapped Sonic’s friends in Cyber Space, a digital world created by the Ancients. When Sonic was exploring the Starfall Islands with his pals for the chaos emeralds, they were surprisingly taken into the virtual space. Sonic was the only being to escape the Cyber Space, which encouraged him to speed through the islands to find his friends and chaos emeralds.
Each island had different dimensional entry points that led to familiar simulated places like Green Hill and Chemical Plant. The islands were also structured as an open world, giving Sonic more freedom and utility to find secrets and explore with different tricks and techniques.
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2 Chrono Cross
Crossing Boundaries
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition
- Released
- April 7, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Chrono
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Chrono Cross splits its main story in two parallel dimensions. The protagonist accidentally visits another reality that includes the supposed death of his alternate self. This confusing scenario encourages him to investigate with his new power to travel between the two realms.
This other world doesn’t just change the layout, but the people and items as well. The protagonist can meet a wide arrange of potential party members to assist his journey. Some events from one world can affect its counterpart world, giving possible beneficial outcomes to progress the story.
1 Super Paper Mario
Dimensional Perspective
Super Paper Mario
- Released
- April 9, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Paper Mario
- Platform(s)
- Wii
Count Bleck was the main villain of Super Paper Mario who’s a lot more menacing and dangerous than Bowser. After his sudden appearance, he proclaimed to destroy not only Mario’s world, but every other world. Once he showcased his dark dimensional powers to Mario, the flimsy plumber proved too little to face him.
To defeat the villains scheming for destruction of realities, Mario must even the odds with his own powers. Mario partnered up with the pixls before gaining the power to flip reality. This ability allows Mario to flip the environment from 2D perspective to 3D, revealing secrets and pathways that aren’t accessible in a sidescrolling view.
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