What I meant it's that this sounds like a very good update to Hydra, not the same plug-in. It clearly shows the difference of 7 years in experience. Sorry that I did not make it clear enough. Dune is much better than it for sound quality and I'd recommend it over its descent to everybody, even though Hydra is still used in some of the music you noted in your post
I just expected "more" synthesis and even better quality and felt disappointed. I'd like software to not have the limitations found in hardware and it kills the deal for me.
For example, the "FAT" mode, while sounding very good has no control whatsoever over itself, just a knob. It goes too full when it's all the way up and it's too empty when it's halfway or so. Would it be hard to have at least control over BOTH density and detune like in the Virus? Given it's all x86 software? I don't think so. That disappointed me. The filters are good and better than Sylenth 1's in my opinion, still not the sound I like the most (think Waldorf filters) but they're very ok. The oscillators sound ok in their own and the actual PWM is nicely done. I like the RM as well. I don't like its FM features - too limited for a software, they don't sound really good IMHO and filter FM is a mock of the real deal (again, Waldorf comes to mind). The concept itself could be expanded a whole lot and instead, it seems they've re-done their old plug-in with new graphics and improved generation engine, with no other stuff. It's that thing that bugs me. Software has the possibilities to be way better than it is and better than most hardware equipment but somehow developers only go to a certain place and make boring plug-ins. Sylenth 1 itself is another example of it IMHO, with its absurd absence of actual pulsewidth selection / modulation.
Sorry for my rant but this way I probably explained my POW better.
Also, the "big thing" of the Virus in my way of seeing things is that it's a hell of a synth. I don't care for Dream Trance, just like I don't care for this latest trends about electro-pop-rnb-fidget-whatever
(basically 90% of the electronic and pop music) - I care for sounds, and the Virus itself gives me a lot. An Alesis ION would give me a lot. My Micro Q gives me a lot and I'd really love to have the QK or at least the Blofeld keys. Those are quite creative tools, who don't do the same supersaw hundreds of times.
Software, on the other hand, SHOULD give me a lot and most of the times it fails to do so. All I get is plug-ins with fixed architecture that look outdated compared to synths made 10, 15 years ago. They every time sound better but the soul and functionality isn't quite there. This was the case with Dune. I'll probably buy it anyways, but it didn't live up to my expectations.