Devlog #2 – Early Gameplay & Time Travel Concepts

Welcome back to another devlog for what i have decided to name Last Loop! In this post, I’m diving into the early gameplay foundations — setting up player movement, shooting, and a basic enemy health system. I’ve also started to explore the game’s biggest twist: a time travel mechanic that replaces Quick Revive.

First Mechanics: Movement, Shooting & Enemy Health

With the environment starting to take shape, I dropped in a first-person controller using Unity’s CharacterController. It’s got smooth movement, jumping, gravity — the essentials.

Next up was shooting. I implemented a basic pistol that fires hitscan bullets using raycasts from the camera. It tracks ammo, handles reloading, and includes a quick muzzle flash and sound. Nothing too flashy (yet), but it gets the job done.

To test it out, I threw in a placeholder enemy — currently just a capsule with health. Shoot it a few times and it goes down. Simple, but satisfying.

Time Loop Tonic — A Perk With a Twist

Instead of a typical revive system, I’m planning something different: a time travel-based mechanic inspired by the Time Bomb from Buried (Black Ops 2).

The idea is a perk called Time Loop Tonic. When used, it rewinds time — either for the player (personal rewind) or for the entire game world (world reset). It’s still early days, but narratively, it ties into the larger story: the zombie outbreak is the result of failed time travel experiments, and each rewind causes more reality to break down — from slow-motion zombies to glitchy physics and echoes of past actions.

Right now, it’s just an idea, but it’s going to be a core mechanic going forward.

Minor Updates & Visual Tweaks

I also went back and polished up the library area, replacing rough bits and cleaning up the Unity hierarchy. I’m using Synty’s low-poly assets to furnish the space — desks, bookshelves, cubicles — all helping to make the world feel grounded but stylized.

What’s Next?

Next up:

• Implementing zombie AI using Unity’s NavMesh system

• Getting zombies to actually chase and attack the player

• Starting on a basic prototype of Time Loop Tonic as a usable perk

Thanks for checking out the project — more to come soon!