Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me pause the game for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am accountable for so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments measure up to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in gaming — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You only need to explore a sprawling open world as the protagonist 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’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a difficulty, 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 step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes design traps that turn a safe route into a setback instantly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one leads to a real situation of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting 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 stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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