Baby Steps First Hands-Original Preview: You Must Fall Before Walking

Five minutes. It took me only five minutes of a demo to be fascinated by the world of Baby Steps and see the promises that developers Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch and Bennett Foddy have given us. The baby steps take the simple premise of a person on the sofa, and Nate needs to find his way home after being transported to another world. Everything is straight enough: You wake up in a new world and need to get Nate's feet and thighs in front of the other foot in an almost rhythmic way to get him to walk, if it sounds complicated, then, that's just the tip of the iceberg. During the preview I climbed the natural steps made of rock, through narrow wood beams, and from the circus to the remains of the destroyed carousel, each challenging my grasp of the controls. Each location brings new challenges or obstacles, and new ways I have to consider progress or beyond them.

Walking in the game sounds simple, but in the baby steps, the complex parts and the biggest challenge is how to perfect how to control the protagonist. Walking in 99% of games is as easy as walking on a simulation stick or pressing the assigned key on the keyboard. However, walking is not easy in baby footsteps, as the left simulation stick still guides movement, but you can control Nate's legs with bumpers and triggers. Like QWOP, this takes some time to get used to, so there is no large amount of slippers, falls and setbacks. But, in the baby’s steps, these setbacks are just part of your journey, and Nate’s story is learning to put one foot in front of the other as he crosses slopes, steps, mountains and other obstacles decorated with natural and unnatural to control his abilities.

Baby Steps is shaping the world into the biggest, thus bringing us QWOP, APE, and crossing it with Bennett Foddy. During my meetings, they pointed out that I was the fourth person to compete that day and each of us took a different path. Despite a good joke, the baby's steps follow in the footsteps of other recent open world games, but develop further. No indication of Nate's journey, no map, no mark, no radar – nothing. You only have intuition to guide you. Maybe if you find and return to the missing cup, maybe you will find a sign that offers a reward, maybe you will see the remains of the circus, or maybe something glowing hanging from trees on the edge of the nearby mountain. All of this and more are baby steps to tell you how to go somewhere and it works very well. I haven't found myself lost in this vast open world or felt like I had no idea where to go, what to do or how to overcome obstacles. The biggest challenge is not to find the path somewhere, but to perform Nate correctly so that he can manipulate on a narrow ledge, finding a ground where you can increase the height to reach the next footing or the ground you can stand on, and it's all done without using yellow paint.

For me, yellow paint is not as destructive to me as some people do. While chatting with the team, they talked about how, while useful, it was a tool that developers told players to go from point A to B. However, the baby step doesn't use it because there is no “right” way to walk on a landslide or climb up rocks on a firm foot. Whichever way you end up completing, this is the right way. Now, some methods will certainly be easier than others, but even this mileage will vary depending on your experience and determination. The team hopes that some players see a route that looks too difficult and take an easier route as soon as possible, and then, after they become more familiar with the controls and Nate’s features, go back and try the harder route.

There are also benefits to taking some demanding routes or exploring more challenging areas. Hidden snacks and bonuses spread throughout the process. The ruins of the circus carousel I mentioned earlier actually have a fun little hat on the top, and the reward I wear when exploring the world is Nate’s reward. What I captured was that these rewards were not permanent, as I soon discovered that I was wearing the hat on the bottom of the rock outcrop. The development team fully expects players to create their own challenges, such as: “Can I beat this game without losing this hat?” This may not sound like a tough challenge, but when climbing up the hill or crossing a thin sidewalk, it only takes one wrong step to fall and watch your hat hurt shrink to the bottom. Hats aren't the only thing to collect either. I won't spoil the details of that cup I mentioned earlier, as it's a fun treat for some fans, but it gives me a good idea of ​​the type of humor and additional challenges that baby footsteps face for their players.

Speaking of humor, I did find a few cutscenes by getting to various locations that made me laugh with laughter during the preview. These cutscenes have a ridiculous humor that keeps me persisting. The closest thing I can compare them is some of the humor you might see in the Looney Tunes episode. Nate isn't the only one in this new world, but he seems to be the most embarrassing person. Of course, the NPCs I encountered were not normal either. From what I have seen so far, Nate’s personality is a fusion between the stereotypical child who still lives with his parents, many who think that healthy people and those who would rather face hardships than interact with someone they are not satisfied with. This feature becomes obvious from the start of the game when he meets NPCs I wish there were many recurring appearances.

Sound design and music also have fun quirks. When Nate first slams his body, he hears collisions, effects and sounds, evoking the feeling he is watching the show, someone is kicked on their groin or toe. Now, there is no health bar to track, from what I can say, Nate won't die, whether I fall off a two-foot or 20-foot rock, which will make it easier for those who might be worried about dying in a game like this. The sound of Nate colliding with the environment is the natural sound, the sound of birds singing, the sound of insects, rats, frogs, and various animals together create a discordant but harmonious soundtrack.

I don't know what the future of baby's footsteps will be. At first glance, it has a lot to do, and I think it's the studio's most approachable entry. Many others combine various elements and mechanics to varying degrees. Many open-world games now take pride in removing markers from the map, encouraging players to live and interact with the world. Physics-based games exist longer, either as ragdoll's characters or use it to influence your character's world. However, with regard to the combination of these elements and their unique control schemes, I think this may be special. The team’s way of relaxing players in a strange world full of obstacles, challenges and secrets isn’t necessarily new, but the way it combines feels not only fresh enough to attract not only their loyal fan base, but also new audiences and welcome them into their unique style.