This is exactly the reason games never ever get better, they just get prettier.
Is there some cosmic rule that prohibits proper movement mechanics in CRPGs. Take Assassin's Creed as a forinstance. Overall the game is a train wreck, but the movement and combat are good, you can climb almost anywhere. Take that and stick it in a proper CRPG.
As an aside the creators of Guildwars, the MMO, are building a new engine. They decided to ask people what features they missed in the old one, among the top ranks is jumping, climbing, flight. And guess what they are implementing it.
It's not a fantastic game or anything, but it shows what gamers want often bears no resemblance to what developers decide to spend time on.
Time and budget often means that developers stop short of setting the bar high enough to create something that really inspires.