Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've dealt with some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the toughest selection I've ever made in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You must walk around a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt each time you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path results in a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling 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 staircase either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip completely down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call