A big part of Cyberpunk 2077 is carving out your own path, whether that’s through character customization, picking your preferred life path, or the characters V chooses to interact with. Night City and its surrounding areas have plenty of opportunities, and side characters, to tailor to each player’s needs. When it comes to romance, the game is no different.
Whilst there may be many NPCs players wish they could romance; there are only four main romance storylines available to V in the game. On the whole? They’re pretty good options. The characters are fleshed out, their interactions with V are engaging and each one comes with its own set of side missions but, like every game, they each have their drawbacks too.
10 BEST: Kerry Eurodyne
Kerry Eurodyne is Johnny Silverhand’s former bandmate-turned-Rockerboy and is only available as a love interest to a Male presenting V. A side mission has V breaking into Kerry’s mansion and letting Johnny take over his consciousness. Kerry and V eventually bond through the course of more side missions; blossoming into a sweet, albeit short-lived, romance.
It’s pretty clear that Kerry is a loving guy who cares a lot about V and his fate and, depending on the ending, he pulls a lot of strings to get V to safety. Their relationship also helps him get his muse back when it comes to his music which is pretty darn sweet. Plus their boat cut scene is pretty great.
9 WORST: Kerry Eurodyne
Whilst Kerry is a sweet character and, by the end of the game, he’s either obviously mourning the loss of V or does everything he can to help him: the storyline isn’t without its flaws. Arguably the romance is one of the least developed out of the four options which doesn’t give players a chance to deeply connect with the bond, no matter how caring it might be.
Additionally, a whole lot of it is based around Kerry’s friendship with Johnny—in fact, a lot of the side missions are played in Johnny’s consciousness which actually makes things a little weird. All in all, the development can leave players feeling underwhelmed by a romance that had a lot of potential.
8 BEST: River Ward
River Ward is the only male love interest available for a female V and works as a cop for the NCPD. He first appears in a side mission and V’s relationship with him grows from there. He’s had a rough upbringing and has a clear moral compass that makes him seem like a genuinely good guy.
He’s protective and he wants to help V which makes for some interesting dialogue between the two. His law enforcement background adds an interesting contrast to the other characters you encounter in the game, and his softer sides give players some pretty romantic scenes to feast their eyes on.
7 WORST: River Ward
He’s charming, he’s (conventionally) attractive and he really does spend a lot of his time with V, outside of side quests, looking out for her. But River, much like Kerry, seems to suffer from a lack of development. He makes a good companion for V but sometimes the chemistry seems a little lackluster.
To make matters worse, when the game starts to round up, River gives V some pretty big ultimatums. Depending on the route players choose: it kind of takes away a lot of his charm. He seems to want V’s life to include him at every turn and, considering their relationship is incredibly new, it all seems a bit much.
6 BEST: Judy Alvarez
Judy is a much-beloved character in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe and is the only female romance option for a female V. Don’t even waste your time trying with a male V because her disdain for you won’t budge. Towards the end V has the option of a side mission with Judy, exploring the area she grew up in, giving her and V a chance to bond.
This romance option shows another sweet, supportive relationship between the two that is built on a lot of trust. The two have been through a lot together and whilst Judy doesn’t warm up to V straight away, once she does, it offers players a few softer moments in the otherwise violent backdrop of the game.
5 WORST: Judy Alvarez
Romancing Judy can lead to a lot of different outcomes in the game—in some the two of them go their separate ways and in another, Judy leaves Night City with V; it all depends on which options players go with. She’s a complex character with a lot of hidden depth but she doesn’t come without her flaws.
It’s hard work getting to the romance options with Judy and she takes a lot of convincing, coming across as quite standoffish at times; so if side quests aren’t your thing then you may end up missing out on the relationship. Players need a lot of patience and need to make sure they pick the right options to get a happy ending with this romance.
4 BEST: Panam Palmer
Panam Palmer is a Nomad and a part of the Aldecaldos—a group that plays a big part in V’s story. Another widely-loved character, like Judy, Panam is part of the main storyline regardless of whether you pursue a romantic relationship with her. She’s one of the most developed NPC’s in the game and that means that her and V’s relationship already has players engaged and attached to their story.
Panam is feisty and opinionated so it takes some time for her to warm up to V’s advances but, when she does, they’re a passionate pair that become a driving force for the Aldecaldos. She’ll drop everything and bring them out to help V towards the end of the game and supports him regardless of his decisions (although she definitely makes her opinion known).
3 WORST: Panam Palmer
Even fan favorites like Panam have their flaws and every romance has its hiccups. Much like Judy, Panam takes a long time to warm up; so it’s going to take more patience and perseverance to reap the rewards of this relationship. Given that she’s very strong-minded, it can be a little hard to tell which options are going to win her over and which are going to rile her up.
Arguably her loyalties lie with the Aldecaldos first and V second; she refuses to stay in Night City with V (if that’s the option players choose) and that can leave their relationship on a somewhat bum note.
2 BEST: Meredith Stout
She’s not a main romance option for V—it’s simply a one-time thing—but it seems important to mention her nonetheless. Meredith Stout is the Senior Operations Manager for Militech and someone that V has a spot of trouble with not too far into the game.
Meredith is aggressive and demanding and certainly puts V through the wringer. They have to jump through quite a few hoops before they actually get an invitation to the motel but it’s certainly an interesting dynamic between the two that adds a little more depth to the game.
1 WORST: Meredith Stout
Honestly, most players will be glad that this romance is what it is: a meaningless fling that ties up an encounter with one of the game’s toughest characters. It’s certainly hard to imagine Meredith ever being a long-term romance option for V.
She’s not a particularly likable character and the brief encounter seemingly comes from nowhere, bordering on a little unnecessary. Fortunately, V doesn’t seem to bump into her again after their little tryst.
NEXT: Every Cyberpunk 2077 Gang, Ranked
