It is a roleplaying game, with a very diverse set of possible builds and playstyles. Thats a major point of the OP article, that there are a wide array of possible Vs.

You absolutely can play through the game without getting any other cyberware beyond what the intro forces, you absolutely can play through the game as a maniac melee hack and slasher, and you can even do both those at the same time.

The last option there is more difficult, especially in the higher difficulties, but it can be done.

If your main problem is that... you can mow through factions and they don't really hunt you down, in response to you being an existential threat to them...

Well, if you want more depth there, there are mods that do rework and make more extensive both the police and gangs, how they interact with each other, and you.

I think the gang one is named 'They Will Remember', and pretty much does everything you're asking for.

https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/19747

There are also mods that expand on the idea of the player being able to fully go into cyberpsychosis.

https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/5646

There are other mods that rework how the Cops work... tons of different kinds of mods that rework many aspects of the game and gameplay, to make it into a much more dynamic and reactive experience, or that just fundamentally rework the entire way combat/cyberware/hacking/armor work, to be much more unforgiving.

Much like joytoys... the game can be whatever you want it to be.