In a post-DMC5 world, what exactly does NG4 need to do in order to have an experience on par with, or even exceeding...

DMC5 is the best DMC and one of the best action games ever made but NG Black/Sigma is at least as good, and beats it in out in ways like level design by a mile. They're both Top 5 though.

Even later NGs don't have good level design compared to Black/Sigma though, so I don't know if a 4 would. MUA3 while good is also mostly hallways. Does Nioh have good level design?

Braindead AI and obnoxious main characters apparently

open world with a bigger map than Wow?