Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some challenging choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations compare to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance 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 accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can decide to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The game world contains design traps that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be fooled by a final joke? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one leads to a real situation of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as capable as others, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

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