I would agree with you that its not quite there yet. The no flat touring mode is not awesome (although it's meant to be paired with the Vulcan, which has 60 degrees of cuff movement in walk mode). I noticed when I switched to Dynafit that I don't use risers very much anymore, especially compared to when I used MFD. The Radicals I use don't have a particularly high set of climbing aids either. I can't speak on whether the Beast has enough of a riser, but it's something that other Dynafit users I have talked to and I have noticed.
Additionally,
-I agree that the holes could be a problem. Limited release of 2500 pairs next year will test this I'm sure.
-It is going to be tested for the release settings I believe. I don't remember which article mentioned this but my understanding was that it would be.
-The ease of lateral release may have been because the release value was set to the minimum. Keep in mind that it wouldn't be that easy if your weight is on the boot and binding. I could do that with my Dynafits if they were cranked all the way down.