Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my options. I am accountable for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds 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 gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. During his adventure, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the truth that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can opt to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Could the steps an additional deception? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path results in a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call