As far as the violence goes, there's a number of reasons they probably chose it. The most obvious is that it fits with the theme of "ultra violent, late 80s neon blood bath" that is on the tin, the sorts of movies that still used squibs and gallons of fake blood. The other reason could be to fit with the theme of the gameplay, when the character dies it's swift and brutal, almost instant. There's very little room for error and the way both you and the NPCs die expresses that in a more visceral and visual fashion.
In regards to youmeyou
Also I'm pretty sure Flexibility is bugged, because I left someone alive on a level and I still got zero. Speaking of that, how many of the non-boss guys who cap off a level can you just let live? Looking back I almost just instinctively pounce on them... eerie.
