Where appropriate, our puzzles do have alternate solutions to them. As for others, well, if you have to undo the minor sabotage to a machine, then that's precisely what you have to do.
No offense to dreamworks, but I think our puzzling works far exceed their own efforts.
Regarding the crater entrance, well 2 separate tools can do the trick and though that's not technically 2 sparate solutions, it's much better than finding a green card. Noting a 3rd solution, I've actually considered it myself, so I agree with you that another element and method of entry can be added.
Elevators: Nothing stopping you from going back up to the surface again, you're not trapped down there. The elevator is even scripted to be recalled back up to the surface from the crater control panel, although you can't really access it right now.
Dynamite: two methods to get it to explode. Either with the detonator or a bullet. The bullet solution will get you killed everytime unless you've taken up a safe position, angling your shot. Again, comparing this puzzle to a town puzzle, I'll take this puzzle over finding the white card.
Cheating the town level: I love the town level, always have. But it's easy to circumvent it. Hop up over the gate, never bothering with the town itself, and zip on down the road. Beyond a few moments of necessary combat, I could be at the end gates and onto the lab in under ten minutes.
(Regarding the lab level, once you've already played it and know where to find the green card, a lot of it can be ignored too...)
Yea, but that's actually true about any level, or for that matter, just about any other game. Once you've played, if you just want to get to the end, you can cut alot of your travels out. The only true forced, progressive play that I can recall is in dino crisis. Very few short cuts.