Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is focused on the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified suffering just to make a statement?

The steps, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion whenever you find a gift horse. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a real situation of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as competent as others, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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