Rooftops & Alleys [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

We see plenty of video games that utilise parkour as a versatile means to traverse the environment, but Rooftops & Alleys is built entirely around it. It puts free-running front and centre, ditching narrative and traditional structure in favour of momentum, mastery, and movement when building scores and beating time trials. And sure, it doesn’t always land cleanly, but when it clicks, it’s a thrill to play.

Check out some screenshots down below:

At its core, Rooftops & Alleys is a pure parkour sandbox. You’re dropped into one of six compact, vertically layered maps and left to experiment with movement: wall-runs, vaults, flips, slides, and tricks flow together in a surprisingly robust system.  

Of course, in a game like this, it’s important that the controls are perfect, and luckily, everything feels responsive and intuitive here… well… when you get used to it, that is. Players press buttons and flick the control stick to perform tricks or navigate obstacles, which on paper is simple enough. However, learning which buttons to press, when to press them, and how to synchronise your actions is a lot more complicated, especially during the early hours of play where you’ll have no idea what the hell you’re doing. There’s a real difficulty curve to deal with here, but when it clicks and you start chaining moves together in satisfying, sometimes chaotic sequences? It feels really, really good.

The six available maps range from urban rooftops, shipping containers, and even a skyscraper, each compact but creatively built with verticality in mind. They’re not massive, but they’re well-designed playgrounds for experimentation, with each offering a variety of routes and lines for freeform movement. Oddly – and amusingly – you can also turn into a pigeon to fly to high spots, which makes no real sense, but is undeniably convenient when you mess up a run or want to reach a tucked away objective.

“Rooftops & Alleys won’t be for everyone, but for players who find satisfaction in nailing a perfect line or mastering a tricky combo, there’s a rewarding movement playground here.”

That’s not to say that there are a whole lot of objectives to complete, mind. While multiplayer allows up to four players to join in for casual exploration or minigames like tag and capture the flag (which can be a TON of fun with the right players), the bulk of the content comes in the form of challenges: time trials and score-based combo runs. Time trials stand out as the most addictive and rewarding activity, with these checkpoint races requiring precision and creativity to shave seconds off your time and earn gold medals, with subtle route optimizations making a big difference. Score attacks on the other hand feel less compelling, with each confined to smaller areas that don’t always take full advantage of the game’s flowing movement system. They’re fine, but the isolated approach feels a lot less rewarding than hitting that perfect run with just milliseconds to spare.

If I’m being completely honest, for solo players, the package feels notably light. Beyond the challenges, there’s little to guide or reward your time, and whilst you can certainly lose yourself in mastering a specific jump or perfecting a trick-filled run across a rooftop, it lacks that real sense of progression to keep players engaged for the long run. And sure, the high skill ceiling gives perfectionists a reason to stick around to master their craft, but without meaningful goals or unlockable content that really excites, the game’s long-term appeal can flatten out.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Multiplayer, however, is an absolute blast… if you can find players. I’ve been lucky to play with a few friends and we’ve had a good time chilling out, pulling off crazy moves, and simply messing around playing tag, which feels PERFECT thanks to the game’s intuitive movement system. However, it is worth noting that we’ve struggled to find a lot of other players to join us right now – here’s hoping that it can build up a community of players to join in on the fun. Playing with friends is brilliant, but those relying on matchmaking may struggle to find active sessions consistently.

Visually, Rooftops & Alleys opts for a minimalist, clean aesthetic. Characters wear simple dark outfits with slight customization options, and whilst none particularly stand out, there’s enough variety there to help differentiate yourself when playing in multiplayer. The environments, while not graphically complex (and admittedly a little bare in design in places), are functional and readable, which suits the gameplay. My only piece of advice? Get a Spotify playlist going when playing. Whilst the soundtrack is alright, it wasn’t particularly exciting – especially when compared to similar titles such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater that has banging, catchy soundtracks.

Developer: ML Media
Publisher: ML Media
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://rooftopsandalleys.com/