The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've dealt with some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments measure up to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've ever made in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You only need to explore a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in 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 a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to assist him. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he discovers that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route called The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and get to the top in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is focused on the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains design traps that turn a safe route into a setback on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get at the peak just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a real situation of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as anyone else, willingly taking on a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway 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 tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

My Experience

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call