Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Faced in a Game

I've faced some difficult decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must explore a vast game world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, 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 take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path called The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Taking on The Obstacle could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can choose to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you see a simple solution. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be let down by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call