You are absolutely right that GoW Rag is by far the superior game in terms of technical achievements and graphical fidelity - I won't argue that fact at all. But that is like saying a PS2 game runs and looks better than a PS1 game. Of course it does, it was designed for stronger/more powerful hardware. If it *didn't*, then we would have massive issues.
Story wise? No. Bayonetta, Astral Chain, Wonderful 101 - they each carry a tone and style that outmatches anything Rag sets out to do. They stay consistent throughout with strong pacing and growth through gameplay - something Rag utterly fails to do. Combat is easily the most anemic of any God of War to date, lacks of the visceral feel of tearing enemies apart and the well paced growth that 2018 was able to provide. Its story peaks 30 min in and utterly fails to capture that same magic the earlier games did (including 2018), brings anti-climax after anti-climax, while having characters speak like they just came from the CW - not God of War.
Now if this was the director of 2018? Corey Balrog? I would be fine with seeing his idea for a new Castlevania game. Not the director of Ragnarok.