Missed potential of Transistor

As I said before in my Transistor review, Transistor seems to have missed a chunk of interesting content due to not using the Function's functions well (you see what I did there).

Having studied games design, it irritates me more and more as I think about it and I feel the compulsion to express what I feel could have been put in to improve the game. Or at least give it more variety besides the fighting. That's not to say the combat is bad, it's just there could have been more.

(WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

What had caused me to notice this missing potential for exploration was the fact that in an early section of the game, the Turn system needed to be used in order for Red to hit two switches simultaneously and that you can use the Functions outside of the fights. And yet after that portion, there was no need to use Turn outside of battle. There was were also no 'secret' areas that needed the Functions in order to get to them. If you're not going to be having the Functions serve any purpose outside of the dogfights, why are you allowed to use them out of battle then?

Toying about with the Functions, I observe the qualities of some of the less directly combat-oriented abilities, primarily Jaunt, Mask and Get.

Firstly, Jaunt.

Jaunt is best described as teleportation, sending Red a certain distance and bypassing gaps and walls. You have teleportation move in a game that lets you use it in a city that begs exploration but has no part that needs it to access any hidden areas blocked off by a wall or maybe a large gap. Something isn't right here.

THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG IF I'M USING IT PRIMARILY FOR THIS.

Next, Mask.

Mask turns Red invisible AND invulnerable for a certain period of time or until she initiates an attack. It makes me wonder if it could be used to go through a treacherous pathway that damages Red as she stands on it(Or an instant kill) or access a 'security' area whereby if an enemy spots you, the door to the area is locked off.

And finally Get.

Observe closely. Snapshot would be pulled along the dotted line towards Red.

Get drags opponents towards Red. This could have been used to perhaps access 'bridges' that need to be pulled by it.

Besides the Functions, let's not forget about the Turn system.
Executing functions and moving in super speed can make for interesting puzzles or situations(I.E pushing a switch on a door that closes almost immediately)

Considering the story stating that the Transistor played part in 'shaping' the city by the Camerata, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for Red to use to and gain access to areas that couldn't normally be reached by those without the Transistor.

It would have also been cool if let's say that after unlocking all of the flavor text of a Function, the text hints that the remnants of the soul which it draws from can still be found in a certain area, warranting exploration, with the rewards maybe being a better efficiency(reduced usage of space when in queue during Turn) of the Function or an increase in damage dealt for the more combat oriented Functions, since they're now 'complete', they should work better.