Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to pause the game for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all arises from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the reality that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Are the stairs one more trick? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, 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 fatigued, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

When I played, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call