Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've faced some difficult choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section prompted me to put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my options. I am the cause of numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path named The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth striving just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options leads to a real situation of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps as well. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call