The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section prompted me to pause the game for several minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds 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) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished once again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one brings about a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as competent as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

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