Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must walk around a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he finds 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) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts 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 physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The world is filled with planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a obstacle instantly. Could the steps an additional deception? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be let down by a final joke? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options brings about a real situation of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as able as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call