Isn't this just a difference between western RPG and JRPG?

Western RPG is often more about how the player would act under those circumstances, hence choices are given and alternate courses of action are available. But JRPG is often more about becoming the character, hence player choice is mostly irrelevant, it's not about us the players, but it's about putting ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist.

In western RPGs, you decide who the protagonist really is, by making choices. In JRPG, you are a passive observer who is living out the protagonist's story.