You are absolutely right.
The game was good for only a technical demo.
I think the biggest problem was with the developing this game is the lack of a normal man in the studio.
Key elements what make original far cry a success:
- a simple man in a hawaii shirt (easier for the pleayer to identify himself with the character)
- a bit romantic and lovable story (finding a nice woman)
- frightening atmosphere in the night hearing (and meeting) the mutants
- a beautiful environment
Key elements what caused crysis to fail:
- an agressive soldier with only technical knowledge (kill all, speed, strength, shoot, grabbing korean soldiers by the neck, etc.)
- sci-fi story elements with stupid flying aliens
- annoying controlling of the modes (speed, strength, etc), invisibility last for seconds, turns off when shooting, and the other ones what you have said too
And after all, the whole game has a story-line and gameplay what is liked by only boys aged between 5 and 10 years.
Of course these boys can not or will not buy the game. This caused the business-failure and not the piracy.