Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some difficult choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to put my controller down for several minutes while I considered my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in a video game — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished once again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Experience

During my game, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call