While browsing Steam Discovery Queues, I found a few interesting games. Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game is one of those games. Now, I’ve saved it for Racing Month for one simple fact. I could absolutely see a full on-foot racer fitting into the mechanics this game has. And it’s made by a solo developer, going under the developer name of MLMEDIA.
From the main menu, there was either getting straight into the main game, or running through the tutorial. I felt it wise to go tutorial first, allowing me to understand the controls that enable the enjoyment of freerunning. Each thing this tutorial wants to teach is clearly signposted, with returning to each point easy. The main controls to run and jump around are simple to understand, so with tutorial complete it was onto the main maps to have some fun.
There are four maps at present, each providing a good amount of verticality to traverse. The first three are outdoor spaces, with the Steel Yard, Construction Site, and School District each having a distinct look. The fourth is an indoor space named The Shed. All four put parkour skills to use when it comes to aiming for higher ground. To start with, I stuck to the Steel Yard to flex my parkour… um… skills?
It did take me a while to get into things, and even now I still feel the need to return to that tutorial. But I’m still having fun messing around even with the huge number of fails I’m making. Failure is made fun via the ragdoll effect of the character, with a simple button press all that’s needed to get up again once they’ve finished flying around and smashing their face into walls.
Such flying around and smashing faces to walls can be admired even more with the slow-motion feature. At any point, simply activate it with a button press. Everything can be done while in slow-motion, allowing admiration of all the moves being made. And even getting screenshots of those moves in action. Though it does make one wish for a full photo mode, as movement is somewhat tied to the direction of the camera.
The pigeon is also a simple button press away from being used. Should I want to get somewhere easily, the pigeon allows that with its flight. This flight is easy to control, allowing fast access to anywhere on these maps. Once at the right location (or at an impossibly high drop point) press the button again for the character to warp to where the pigeon had marked.
There are a few events to be found around these maps, putting parkour skill to some accurate use. Trials marks out a route with checkpoints. Tricks is the score-chaser. Both event types have bronze, silver, and gold targets to hit. Gunning for the gold feels like an impossible ask for me, who so far has only got one silver and barely scraped a few bronze. I will keep trying, though.
As I said, the control set up for Rooftops & Alleys would make for a great on-foot racer. Those events mark the start of what could be maps with a focus on trial events. Multiple routes to the next marker that freerunners need to find and navigate the best route for. Should multiplayer ever be in this game’s future, such events will become even more competitive.
With it being so recent with its early access release, the possibilities for expansion of the core experience are endless. Many updates have already added to that core, such as new movement options, customisation of the runner. Even that indoor map came in an update. The developer has said that a roadmap will be up in the future, but for now things are being kept under wraps.
I can fully understand that, at present, Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game might not be for everyone. The core of the experience is already here and can only get better with time. Even if just to mess around for a bit while new content comes, I can easily recommend playing.
Images Taken From:
Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game | Steam
