Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to navigate a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to assist him. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route called The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. 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 difficult selection in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, of course, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Experience

When I played, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call