Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some difficult choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am accountable for countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You must explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is necessary 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 navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. As he progresses, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you see a simple solution. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. 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 easy journey after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call