Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a moment where he can show that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Could the steps one more trick? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished another time by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one results in a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip all the way down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Experience

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