I like the entire concept of the dark zone. Risk vs reward, the fear factor of friend or foe. Plus the possibility of going fully rogue and just being a general pita for people.
It's not like you get anything in the dark zone that you can't get in the PvE zone, it's just done differently.
Honestly, it's a great introduction and fits the ethos of the game quite well. I know it's not everyone's bag, but the beauty is that you don't even have to touch it to be able to get the same gear