Replay the first 3 games and tell me if your choices are any more diverse than it was in this game.
It is a character experience, the ronin has their own opinions about everything and they always have. I think people are just realizing this because they ran into a character they dislike and the ronin feels differently. I understand, I personally am immensely suspicious of Tosh and the Emperor and wanted to put Tosh in their place for what they did to you in book 3. The ronin doesn’t share this feeling however.
The quality hasn’t changes, only who you’re made to assiociate with.