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

I've encountered some difficult decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my options. I am accountable for so many 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 hardest choice I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a struggle, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all comes from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and risky path dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend 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 opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in about they decline guidance, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs one more trick? Will Nate get at the peak just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as capable as anyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the stairs too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip all the way down if he falls. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call