The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've encountered some hard choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for countless Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to walk around a vast game world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” 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 context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the reality that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion each time you find a gift horse. The game world contains planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one brings about a authentic instance of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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