I liked Plunge but I understand why they did these things:

1. Opener on DRK is still busy enough as it is.
2. The animation delay on it meant you didn't necessarily jump right away, whereas the new version does. The new version doesn't bother with these animations so it can be more speedy. Was never a problem for me though.
3. I suppose a third reason from their perspective is if it's not doing damage, it doesn't make sense to look like you're plunging your sword into the enemy. I think they should stop caring about this.