I am hopeful they added SOME of the balance your wanted to the defense. Where the moves may not appear as explosive as your wanting if the defense has been slowed in the form of weight and not magi-sliding into position the moves when used properly will be able to get you open.
That is what I talked to them about when I was there. We spend a good deal of time and they even put in some new code to regulate defensive reaction time based on the player vs player matchup.
My hope is that in the end product that even though you don't explode as your wanting... In the right matchup's the moves are still effective.