I've faced some difficult choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it concerns a massive stairway.
Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.
Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.
Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.
This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper 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 prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail called The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; choosing it looks risky to anyone.
But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.
I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to prove a point?
The steps, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a difficulty instantly. Could the steps an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being made to address a strange individual as Master?
The excellence of that situation is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path results in a real situation of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.
But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing 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 nasty. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?
During my game, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call
Elara is a passionate writer and photographer who shares insights on creativity and mindful living through engaging storytelling.
