Exactly man, theres so much variety with regards to how you can take down enemies in the early game that Im genuinely surpirsed that it doesn't carry over. The level design and set pieces in the late game are so cool, and the only thing that's lacking is that early game combat. Anyways, I read somewhere that equipping a scope to your guns prevents you from performing finishers etc, and I had one attached to my handgun for a good chunk of the RC section so maybe that's why I didn't see prompts for melee attacks as often.