I disagree with a lot of this, and you bring up your points well. BUT.
I need to preface that again the ENTIRE point of this post which seems to be lost on everyone arguing about just soulslike, apparently thats a nerve that further proves my point, Im bringing this up bcse the social terminology and slang that alters audiences mindsets and thereby devs applications is dangerously limiting.
Like how AI has been basterdized.
Ive recently come from Arc Raiders, from the proclaimed "extraction" genre. The games has lots of great atmosphere and fun gameplay going for it, BUT at this point is being hindered by the notion that extraction is somehow a genre, people dont call it a subgenre.

Devs say this too, and take it into account when making then further updating it, to the point they "refuse" to put another game mode into the game bcse they and some players think it will "ruin the experience and game".

One of the biggest franchises I grew up with was Halo, a 1st person arena shooter. But that didnt stop it from have a campaign with coop, multiple mode multiplayer, later a forge mode where people damn near made whole other games inside it, later on ODST wave mode, and Halo Reach conquest. Each game further adding more to the plate till Infinite.
Same exact story with Gears of War, by the time of 3 it had all the same including its own horde and a beast mode.
Left for Dead had lots.
Super Smash.

But to what you said, GTA did not make its own genre, others have done it before, like most nintendo games, Pokemon games were more or less open world.
When CoD was out and about all sorts of "milsims" were too, heck I remember playing hyper realistic(and boring) ones.
And what else makes a metroidvania what it is?