Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've faced some hard choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my options. I am accountable for countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it involves a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated 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 perfect selection. Both options leads to a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, consciously choosing a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, of course, chosen to take The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Choice

When I played, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call