Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some difficult choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations compare to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in a video game — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to explore a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail called The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and reach the summit in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the reality that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Taking on The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one results in a authentic instance of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip completely down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, of course, selected The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call