The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've encountered some difficult decisions in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section prompted me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You only need to explore a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to assist him. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears 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 dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest 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. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished another time by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call