Paweł Sasko, Senior Quest Designer for Cyberpunk 2077, confirmed that the team intentionally reduced player control over the protagonist V at certain story points. This design choice serves to depict Johnny Silverhand gradually infiltrating V's consciousness, allowing players to directly feel V losing control over their own identity and actions.
Some players noticed that V explicitly states early in the story that they dislike smoking. However, as the plot progresses and V's consciousness continues to merge with Johnny's, V begins smoking in certain scenes. Sasko stated that these subtle behavioral changes are exactly the effect the team wanted to achieve, illustrating how Johnny's influence on V is gradually deepening.
This change also mirrors the development of their relationship. Johnny initially tries to kill V, but their connection later incorporates empathy and regret. However, some players believe that role-playing games should allow players to shape V according to their own choices, and forcing changes to the protagonist's behavior undermines freedom.
Sasko responded that this discomfort was precisely the design goal. In the main storyline, after implanting the Relic chip, V faces a terminal illness not of their own choosing, while Johnny's digital persona continuously influences their identity, memories, and actions. Therefore, the team used both role-playing mechanics and restrictions on player control as narrative tools, deliberately creating tension between player agency and established themes.