Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am the cause of numerous Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a couch potato 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 difficulty expressing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in about they turn away a map, but they can choose to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a obstacle instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path leads to a genuine moment of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To opt for that way is to at last permit 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 continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, of course, opted for The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

My Choice

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