The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they reject navigation help, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a obstacle on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be fooled by a final joke? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a genuine moment of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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