Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section prompted me to put my controller down for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the toughest selection I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in the conventional way. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all comes from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. During his adventure, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The environment includes design traps that transform an easy path into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs one more trick? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall all the way down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Experience

When I played, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call