Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've dealt with some hard choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me pause the game for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You must explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be filled with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you see a simple solution. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Could the steps yet another trap? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. 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 lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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