The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence led me to put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I've faced in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, is not really a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the main character 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 appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls 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. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps includes; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” 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 context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a real situation of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment 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 so, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

My Choice

When I played, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call