Simply look where you wish to go and open a portal to see what's in the other dimension.

You never know what monster lurks in the other side or what furniture may fall through a portal. 

You can use this to your advantage in order to teleport enemies and objects where you want.

Switch between Earth & Nature, Fire & Lava, Air & Electricity or Water & Ice.

Enemies whose primary attack/defence is based on fire will be less effective fighting in the rain, so a good strategy would be to lure them in a dimension where it rains.

Unlike other games, portals aren't like flat doors. You can walk around them to see clearly what's in the other side and decide from which angle you wish to enter or just close them.

You and some NPCs (non-player characters) will mostly be able to open sphere portals anywhere you wish. In some occasions, you will be able to open a portal of a different shape, such as a pyramid, cube or even a flying dragon!