Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've faced some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what now might be the toughest selection I've ever made in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to explore a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all arises from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up 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 hazardous route called The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be paved with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path leads to a genuine moment of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. 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 option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs either. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

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