Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima ending section led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances measure up to what possibly is the toughest selection I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in about they decline guidance, but they can decide to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion anytime you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Could the steps one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished another time by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a real situation of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the stairs either. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call