The Game Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you find a gift horse. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a setback on a dime. Could the steps an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call