Cyberpunk 2077 is full of charming characters who impact V’s life, whether platonically or romantically. A player, however, had to realize why the community is quickly turned off by a potential romance – and wants to get rid of him again quickly, despite feeling sorry for him.
Which character is being talked about? It is the former NCPD detective River Ward from Cyberpunk 2077, whom V meets during the course of the game. He is one of the four possible romances in the game with whom V can have a purely physical but also romantic relationship if the player wishes.
River is heterosexual and therefore only wants to pursue a relationship with a female-presenting V – provided that she is also interested in him.
Compared to the other romances in the game, River is less frequently considered a romantic choice, with many players justifying this by saying that Judy is simply much more popular as an option for a female V.
A player who felt sorry for the former cop ultimately engaged in the relationship… and now regrets that decision, as she tells the Cyberpunk community on Reddit: “I regret it every time I shower and he looks at me like that… it gives me chills, lol. By the way, I find him clingy and annoying; that’s what I get for feeling sorry for him.”
Other players can relate to the feeling of the player and share their own experiences with ex-policemen, and why they just can’t stand the romance.
Here you can see the trailer for the city of dreams in Cyberpunk 2077:
Different ideas to end a relationship (as gently as possible)
What ideas does the community have for the player’s situation? To save the player from the unwanted partnership in Cyberpunk 2077, the community has some ideas on Reddit to somehow get rid of River. Sometimes more ethically justifiable, sometimes a bit less:
- “Tell him to meet you in the apartment you like the least, and never go there for the rest of the game,” writes Tylenol187ForDogs (with a “Team Judy” banner), which is actually a solid idea to avoid him for the rest of the game.
- “… Shall we meet in Dogtown?”, suggests jessiah284, the place where policemen get shot at first sight.
- sailrwhale simply presents a piece of advice from Johnny Silverhand himself, which, however, sounds quite final:
Other players who find River not so bad but quite lovable cannot understand the player:
“I think River should present the ‘family route’, and some of his lines are really sweet…” writes LoFiMagic and Spookiiwookii also finds: “Why do people act like River is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to start a romance with him? If you don’t like him, then for goodness’ sake, don’t start a romance with him.”
The answer to this question is gladly provided by MeinMMO editor Caro from her own experiences with Cyberpunk 2077, in which she has already invested hundreds of gameplay hours:
I want to make it clear: I have nothing against River Ward and his questline, which I really enjoyed. It is also fair to say that I prefer to choose potential romances that reflect my own sexuality and personal immersion. That’s why I always go Team Judy in every playthrough.
River as a character is likable to me, and getting to know his background and family was very exciting. However, even the disturbing mission arc surrounding River’s kidnapped nephew cannot compare to the uncomfortable feeling that the game gave me with his advances.
Ending his quest line with a shared dinner was very enjoyable for me. However, his potential romance not only interested me, I simply found it really – to express it best like Susanne Daubner – cringe.
During the dinner with his family, the topic uncomfortably shifts too often to a potential romantic relationship between the mercenary and the former cop, without ever having any hints of an existing interest. You absolutely ruin dinner for his sister and the little children you previously played with because you don’t want to be a couple with their uncle.
This invitation felt to me like the kind of action where a marriage proposal must absolutely take place in public and in front of many others, making one feel more or less forced by conscience to say yes. And that he still asks afterwards, despite all of this, “not to be kept waiting any longer” really took the cake for me.
River is a good guy; you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But uff… This final mission turns River from a “good guy” into a “Nice Guy”, and it’s no wonder that many female players feel their toenails curling.
As can be seen from the Reddit thread, River still has enough fans who like him just the way he is. And those Vs who are less inclined towards the former policeman can still try it with a talented braindance artist, just like MeinMMO author Johanna: Judy in Cyberpunk 2077 breaks my heart – and I want more of it [MeinMMO Classic]
