The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've faced some difficult decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what could be the toughest selection I've ever made in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all comes from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path named The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a authentic instance of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as capable as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call