Elden Ring won GOTY and Good of War fans are super salty. One of the most common arguments against Elden Ring by God of War fans I see is: "It's just open world Dark Souls." So then What makes Ragnarok so much different from all the rest of the God of War games? What makes it different from 2018? What makes it so fresh and innovative?

Elden Ring has these improvements from DS3: A massive multi level open world to explore as you see fit, jump button, Spirit Summons, a mount, new combat mechanics.

So since I haven't had a PlayStation since PS2, what did Ragnarok bring to the table that the other God of War games didn't? Why did it deserve to win over a completely new and different IP when it's basically the same as the rest of them?

I'm not saying it's a bad game. The others I played were fun, and I'm sure Ragnarok is awesome. I just want someone to fill me in on some details instead of just Hating ER and Sucking Kratos' dick.