Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've faced some difficult choices in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my options. I am accountable for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what could be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes 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 other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to assist him. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and risky path called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback on a dime. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as competent as anyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps as well. To choose that path 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 easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call