Time Inflation – Real-Time Time-Slow VFX in Unity HDRP

“Time Inflation” is a real-time VFX system created for Resonance, a 2D side-scrolling action game. This effect conveys a full-screen "time-slow" state where the world desaturates into black & white while the player and allies remain in full color. Movement speed slows to 20%, emphasizing emotional tension and gameplay readability.
Built in Unity HDRP, the system utilizes:
1 Global Volume for full-scene desaturation
2 Layer-based masking to exclude key characters from the grayscale pass
3 Custom Pass Volume to re-render selected layers (player & allies) in color after post-processing
4 A fully parametric controller script, allowing designers to tweak slow factor, transition speed, and effect duration without touching code
The result is a dramatic visual shift that enhances both moment-to-moment impact and narrative immersion.