FREERIDE Playtest

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*For the demo, see Freeride Demo.*

The **FREERIDE Playtest** (also referred to as "FREERIDE: The Personality Test Playtest," 'open alpha test build' and 'the core mechanics test' on the opening pop-up message) is the official playtest version of Freeride and released publicly on June 11, 2022. At the time, it could be downloaded through Steam and was supposedly available as a closed alpha the previous month, May 24, 2022. The alpha closed January 20, 2023 and was followed on the 30th with the demo of Act 1. While the playtest remains unlisted, it can be downloaded and played via archive.org.

## Description

The playtest is a legacy version of the game, not having nearly as much as the demo. Missing features like the phone, storing items, having locks around inaccessible areas, and a lot more, what it doesn't lack is fairly interesting. Mainly acting as a test for telekinesis, the game opens with the statement "Welcome to **Freeride**. You are playing the **core mechanics test**. This story is not that of the main game, but offers sneak-peeks at the world to come. Nothing shown here is final. - Rebecca". While fairly updated at the time of release, it also served as a feedback forum, garnering about 10,000 responses.

### Synopsis

Proto spawns into the sewer area where it splits to the sewer town and further into the pipes. The Seer sits on a shed, kicking her feet, with the text "click to talk" floating next to her. She gives Proto various telekinesis instructions, the last deviating from the main tutorial: a floating and moving poster-boardesque head of Beta. Upon breaking it, she will laugh and say "Down with the tyrant!" She then says "Peace!" and leaves you with 'toys,' including another Beta head, two planks, a big cardboard box, a wet floor sign, and a nasty mattress. She also gives you a button that, on pressing it, closes the game. You can exit out into a gray sewer town and jump into a seam that is circular with spikes at the bottom of the latter which takes you to the Pandaemonium Station.

In front of the train-less station, Kad and Ana are eating, with Ana having an item labeled 'Ana's Sandwich' in front of her. When you talk to Ana, she says "OH MY!", apologizes for yelling, Kad chimes in and tells her to stop apologzin', something she asked Kad to remind her, which prompts Ana to say "I'm not sorry!" Kad says "No more B.C.B." (big cry baby!) which causes her to yell at him. She says she is exhausted and is happy she still has her sandwich.

On going further into Pandaemonium, you can interact with many characters as well as an unfinished version of the level. Level 2's and 3's entrances are missing, but level 1 remains complete. Many characters are standing in front of various shops, all having dialogue upon one or multiple interactions.

Dennis can be seen on his door, giggling to himself. Upon interacting with him, he will tell you to leave, and later reveal that he is "scoping the most *bodacious* spirit in the spirit world." Interacting more, he says the girl one level down, with "blue skin, red eyes, strong enough to snap me like a twig, Lepida", and that he has access to all the cameras on the station. Creepy! He only says "~SWOON~" and does that eyebrow raise animation upon further interaction.

Lepida, upside down and on level 2, recognizes you and calls you Proto, and says "...Must be having one of those episodes" in reference to Proto being silent, likely referencing the '...' button in the final game. Interacting further, she will say she will be here, 'old friend.'

Interacting with 'Aho,' as Salix calls them, in her Flower Shop, she will explain they are having a 100% off everything sale, and then introduces herself upon futher talking. You can image what Aho says.

Going into the Arcade, you will see Ribbert and Kohno, Ribbert telling Kohno to calm down as she is beating the living daylights (my words not theirs) out of the punching bag, while yelling 'stupid jerk!' Ribbert, wise as ever, says 'You're going to break that thing again,' and that 'that creep ain't worth it.' Interacting more, he will say hi and that all the machines are all out of order but that they look nice. "Kohno, please! Gentle!"

Jelvis and Solo are loitering outside the Combini Cat, they will laugh at you variously and say your face is dumb, Solo lacking his normal stutter. They just keep laughing. "Eheheheheh," "Ahahahaha," between the two, infinitely.

Walking in, Beanie is being assulted by various exploding sodas and mountain mews, exclaiming "My shop! How will I ever fix this..." and upon seeing you will say "A customer? NOW?!?" and to don't mind the mess. He huffs and says he'll clean in a sec. He says he doesn't need your help, and introduces himself.

Pino is seen, halfway on a rainbow bridge between Level 1 and 2. "Hi! Hi! Hi! I'm Pino! You new here? Like me? Nice to meet you!" She says hi again, asks if you've seen her 'water-bottle shaped' new dad, and to say hi. She sings "la~ la~ la~" repeatedly.

Albion is seen staring out into the horizon near The Brokenheart, lamenting time passing, 'another year come and gone,' "perhaps my boy I'll see anon... HARK?!?" Startled by your presence, a child not clear, says his accent might be weird and that most don't understand what he says. If you've seen Pino, you can tell him "Hi," just by clicking on him, which he will say "such a precious girl."

Lastly, everyone's favorite, Dakuiri in the Brokenheart. Sitting on a stool, writing in his ledger, he will say "Buzz off, Kad, I'm working." He gets extremely agitated, and backtracks when he sees it's not Kad, We're closed, quiet type, come back here when we're open. "Tell em' (sic) Dakuiri you're a VIP... and we'll show you a real good time, yeah? ... ...You're not 18, are you." "SIGH~ What now? This kid think I'm a babysitter? Look. See this book. I escaped death, but nooooooo. Not taxes. So just... scram, alright?" "If I don't say anything maybe it'll go away."

The buttons around the game will quit, but before they do, The Seer pops up, and asks if you didn't forget this was a personality test. A fanciful animation will play and give you your result.

### Secret

There is only one secret in the playtest, not even being labeled. You can leave beginning area mid-tutorial, which causes The Seer to tell you to wait but eventually just give you the speech she does normally.