Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a choice-driven game. Certainly not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all stems from users guiding Nate gradually, 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 group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian 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 prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path called The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

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 culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Challenge could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path results in a genuine moment of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as competent as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call