GAME REVIEW | Hilarious "Baby Steps" a Double-Edged Sword of Mockery
Somewhere, there are three men laughing at gamers across the world. Their names are Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy, and in 2019, they created my Game of the Year pick of that year, Ape Out. So why are they laughing at us players? Well, maybe it’s because in their new game Baby Steps, they’ve gifted us with the most useless and frustrating protagonist of all time: the man-child Nate.
Nate is what many folks would label as a Grade-A loser. At almost 35, he still lives with his parents and sits around all day marathoning One Piece on Netflix. Suddenly, he’s warped to another world, where he must climb a mighty mountain. Thankfully, there are people, especially the kindhearted Jim, who want to help Nate get to the top. The problem: Nate is stubborn as fuck!
Many times, Jim and various other climbers will offer to assist Nate on his journey. This includes giving him a map, hiking boots, and even a grappling hook. But no, Nate wants none of that, as he attempts to conquer the mountain in just his onesie and his gross bare feet. Even when it seems apparent that Nate needs all the help that he can get, he’ll still refuse it! And throughout my time with Baby Steps, I often found myself screaming at the TV, ordering Nate to take that helping hand!
So how does Nate climb this mountain? Well, the title of the game, Baby Steps, sums it up. Using your controller’s L2 and R2 buttons, you lift your legs and use the left control stick to aim your foot to the ground. The trio of Cuzzillo/Boch/Foddy (a terrible law firm too, by the way!) have made a literal walking simulator, one that requires your fingers to take every step that Nate makes.
On solid ground, Nate does okay. But when you come across steps and higher ground, he’ll start having trouble keeping his balance. And Heaven forbid you come across a narrow bridge, as one small misstep might send you sliding all the way back down. When this happens, you’ll experience the conflicting feelings of anger and laughter. You’re pissed that you have to start all over again, but the sight of Nate sliding down and having his onesie get all muddy and filthy will be hard not to chuckle at.
Baby Steps takes the most simple game mechanic and transforms it into the ultimate puzzle experience. Many times, you’ll have to strategically plant your feet on the ground. Get it right, and it’s just another step forward towards the mountain peak. However, if you muck it up, then you’ll witness Nate fall flat on his face, tumbling down to the bottom as he whimpers his way down. Trust me: you’re going to spend hours attempting to complete even the most simple-looking walk across a narrow plank.
I’ll be honest: I have a love/hate relationship with this game. On one hand, whenever Nate interacts with Jim and the others, it’s a smorgasbord of awkward conversations and sheer Aussie stupidity that I can’t help but laugh hard at. However, because Nate outright refuses to do what I want, I have this urge to punch a hole through my TV every time he’s too stubborn to accept a helpful hand.
What’s my remedy to this? That’s simple: pure punishment! If the game developers want to force players to deal with Nate, then I’m going to make Nate go through the worst kind of Hell to get to the mountain top! Taking the long way around, eating dirt at every opportunity, and even making him fall off tall heights and landing head-first into the ground result in sights that make me laugh like I’m Beavis & Butt-Head. Yes, I’m making it harder for me too, but it’s worth it!
PROS:
- Stupidly funny story, voice acting
- Beautiful terrains
- The baby chick that follows you on one occasion
CONS:
- Can’t ride the horses
- Nate’s a stubborn loser
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I can’t decide whether Baby Steps is brilliantly stupid or stupidly brilliant. Whatever the case, the madmen behind Ape Out have crafted a literal walking simulator that’ll make you scream with laughter and frustration. Baby Steps goes to great lengths to show how to take a mountain climb like a true man, albeit with the least-manly video game protagonist ever made.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Thomas Schulenberg of Tinsley PR. Reviewed on the PS5.
