The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've encountered some hard choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am accountable for so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path called The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and get to the top in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere 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 one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, 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 if they reject navigation help, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Could the steps yet another trap? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished once again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, consciously choosing a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Experience

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call