SM2 situation is so you have several finishers for each weapon and each enemy (and some non-weapon universal ones). Obviously it's a lot of work when you need to create a new melee weapon.

What i'm thinking about is woudn't be it better to have less melee finisher variations and have more universal animations BUT introducing gun finishers (not sure they would bring them at this state of the game) and also unlock all pistols for every class (and maybe some primary weapons aswell) sure it's partialy a balance question. Plus let the player switch weapons more often like in the campaign.

So in result you will have less finishers variations with each weapon, but it will be faster to develop weapons and in the end you will have tones of fatalities still. And on the player's side it will be less samey when you juggle with weapons. Instead of looking at the same 5 melee finishers players will go through the pistol, melee, universal, pick up some primary, another pistol and another melee, switch again later, etc. So the system effect where the final result will be bigger then just summery of each piece. 

It's a compromised and subjective vision. But i'd rather have it like in Gears of War - less finisher variations compensated with more weapons.

The gunstrike is actually tagged as a finisher but I get what you mean and agree I would like to see ranged executions.