Cyberpunk 2077 is filled with unique characters and relationships, but for many, it’s the romances that take the cake. The “main” romanceable Cyberpunk 2077 characters include Judy, Panam, River, and Kerry, each with their own unique perspectives and response based on how the game ends. Many may have assumed that Kerry was gay because he can only be romanced by a completely male V, but the character has always been and still is canonically bisexual.
So, the big question is why players can’t romance Kerry as a feminine V in Cyberpunk 2077. Quest designer Pawel Sasko was asked about this during a recent live stream of the game and provides some unique insight into this.
Cyberpunk 2077 Doesn’t Feature Player-Sexual Romances
Sasko mentions that the romances of Cyberpunk 2077 were not player-sexual, a term meaning that the sexuality of a video game character is essentially determined by the player, or pansexual. The former is used in some games, and it has its own pros and cons—one of the cons is how the character loses any real identity in terms of sexuality. It can also lose a little bit of realism, because as Sasko described player-sexual: “No matter who you are, what you are, and what you’re acting…they will always fall for you. We didn’t want to do that because that’s not how life works.”
Kerry is thus bisexual in Cyberpunk 2077, and the reason a feminine V cannot romance him is that she’s just not “his type.” This adds in that realism a lot. While it’s easy to think of male and female V as one character in a video game, they are physically distinct characters in the game where one doesn’t exist. Bisexual people may not look for the same traits or any number of things in their partner, so it makes sense that Kerry could like a completely masculine V but not a feminine one.
Cyberpunk 2077: Does Johnny Silverhand Impact Kerry’s Romance?
CD Projekt Red has a simple explanation for this, but it should be noted that at launch, a different take was provided. As pointed out by TheGamer, R. Talsorian Games (the original creator) said it still considers Kerry bisexual but thinks that Kerry’s attraction to masculine V could be “deeply rooted into unresolved issues involving Johnny.” In other words, while Kerry is romancing V, it’s perceivable that part of his infatuation here deals with Johnny being in V’s head…and depending on how someone plays, V can look and act very much like Johnny Silverhand.
It's an interesting scenario, if nothing else, and it’s understandable how fans could have a mixed reaction to this. Nonetheless, it also highlights how complicated sexuality and romance can be, especially in the world of Cyberpunk 2077. Either explanation works, even if one is a little more official, and either lets players truly understand the game and its world through their own lens just a little bit more.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: TheGamer
