Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging choices in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to pause the game for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a vast game world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all stems from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can decide to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid anytime you see a simple solution. The game world contains design traps that transform an easy path into a obstacle instantly. Could the steps yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a real situation of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, selected The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

When I played, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call