Usually, morality systems in video games sway player behavior towards one of two distinct paths: either you’re good or you’re bad. In Ghost of Tsushima, created by Sucker Punch Productions (the developer behind the Infamous games, where player-choice was bound to such rigid dualisms as valor versus villainy), they put aside their tried-and-true morality system for a narrative scheme that’s far less branching.
Source: Art Station Magazine
The game still forces the player to confront the consequences of their bad behavior. And similar to Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima’s stealthy katana-wielding protagonist, who bucks tradition for the radical path, the player’s own conscience must evaluate if the right thing is being done. As a result, while the game lacks a true scale for weighing good or bad actions, the narrative itself plays out as a kind of morality test.
In contrast to Infamous Second Son, the story and gameplay in Ghost of Tsushima are not affected by dialogue choices or split-second decisions on whether to kill or subdue enemies. These choices, all part of Infamous’ karma system, decide whether your main character went out as a hero or as a villain.