The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've faced some difficult choices in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to pause the game for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what possibly is the hardest choice I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a vast game world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a struggle, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. As he progresses, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Could the steps yet another trap? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one brings about a real situation of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he falls. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Experience

When I played, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call