Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've faced some difficult choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I thought through my options. I am the cause of numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments measure up to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the truth that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you find a gift horse. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call