Hmm mabey for the Hell arena it woud be cool the farther you fall the more dark and hellish it gets...hellish lol.

I think this really speaks to the fact that it's a distraction, more than a feature. If there was an internal logic to it it would definitely be much more appreciated. If they're restricted, for whatever reason, to something that simplistic, at least the Netherealm stage is an example where there's something resembling a thoughtful use of the shortcut.

One would hope there isn't an endless repetition of rooftops in the Gotham levels. I think that would be too embarassing for consideration.
Descending to the streets is where this quicktime distraction can turn in to a more convincing feature.