why do people hate the "grab" feature so much?

[BoopicDuck]

it's the part of the game and i find it very balanced, if you know how to avoid it then it's not a problem

[Splinter]

I think the two main reasons are that grabbing has the potential to immediately kill a player (throwing him into acid for example) and also the melee combos (such as kicking while falling from a crate and then grabbing).

For me, the new combo possibilites made melee much more fun and dynamic than the old standing punch-block melee. You can (and should) use objects and the environment around you: jump on top of crates and barrels, get makeshift weapons, use ladders, dive players into pits. If you're close to a pit, you should be especially careful about being grabbed, so get away from the pit, punch the enemy repeatedly, jump over his grab, or even better, try to grab him yourself.

[Zyfex]

grabs are godlike i'd be mad too > : (