Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've encountered some difficult choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what now might be the toughest selection I've faced in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in the conventional way. You simply have to walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all arises from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path called The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the reality that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Challenge could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be 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 user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains design traps that turn a safe route into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be disappointed by a final joke? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one results in a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable 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 continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip completely down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call