Cyberpunk 2077 is a world filled with what seems like endless side quests and activities, yet one area in particular, gang turf wars, doesn't make any sense sometimes and could be improved if V was able to influence them more directly. Night City's groups are vast and differ in many ways, and they offer a deeper understanding of the overall environment and history of the world, but V's simple interactions with them only go as far as passing them on the street or raiding one of their areas for street cred and Eurodollars. To enhance this area of gameplay, CD Projekt RED should've allowed V to manipulate and participate in the gang turf wars more.
Before Cyberpunk 2077 was officially released in 2020, CD Projekt teased the game's gangs, and they looked like they'd bring a lot to the table in terms of content in Night City. Players had already begun planning out which Cyberpunk 2077 gangs to work with, but the disappointment slowly set in as the actual amount of gang affiliation and interactions was limited. What defines a group in Cyberpunk 2077 can be a bit confusing at times, but in total there are 13 main groups including Corpos. However, only 10 are smaller street or nomad gangs. Those include the Mox, Tyger Claws, 6th Street, Valentinos, Malestrom (the weirdest of them all), Voodoo Boys, Scavengers, Wraiths, Aledecaldos, and Animals. Each has its unique culture and history within Night City, which is why the lack of in-depth gang interactions in Cyberpunk 2077 is so disappointing.
Night City is one of the most beautiful, well-put-together environments in any game to date, and the Darker Lighting mod for Cyberpunk 2077 makes it look even better, but some of its side content, like the gang interactions, are lacking. While the background of each gang is constructed deeply, V can't do anything with them but a few side quests from fixers or raiding their turf for loot. CD Projekt RED should've allowed V to manipulate different gangs in order to spark escalated turf wars. It could've created a better story and brought more unique items into the game. If Cyberpunk 2077 gets DLC in the future, CD Projekt might want to think about incorporating more gang turf manipulation systems.
A Better Cyberpunk 2077 Gang System Would Make Night City Better
Despite the controversy around its initial release, Cyberpunk 2077 was Steam's most played game in 2021. However, it became apparent early on that gang encounters were limited, and it's a shame because gangs and turfs wars are a big part of Night City. Looking at the world map, each region of Night City shows which gang controls it. And, while V does encounter and work with certain gangs during the story - as well as other various side quests, like retrieving a Militech bot from Malestrom to infiltrate Konpeki Plaza - there aren't many more interactions with gangs that seem particularly important. One way to improve the gang system would have been to allow V to join a gang of their choosing, or even to set one gang up against another in order to take different turf.
Recently, there's been talks about the game receiving new DLC, but that and rumors of a soft relaunch were debunked by a Cyberpunk 2077 developer. Hopefully, there are plans for CD Projekt RED to release DLC at some point in the near future though, and if so, incorporating a more in-depth gang system should be a priority. Ubisoft's innovation with its past three Assassin's Creed games shows DLCs can be about more than new locations and loot - whole game mechanics can change for the better. There's still hope for Cyberpunk 2077 and the game's future content, but for now, the lack of in-depth gang mechanics remain a disappointment.