Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section led me to put my controller down for several minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in gaming — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a moment where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be filled with more humiliating failures. Is it worth striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, 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 eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call