Baby Steps Features One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some hard decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I considered my options. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've ever made in gaming — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You only need to explore a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. 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 ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path named The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the reality that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options results in a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip completely down if he falls. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call