Some things you might want to know about Elden Ring to give it context on how it's called Game of the Year, and why you might not fear too much about ARK 2 being like it:
On controls: From Software, the developer of Elden Ring and the Souls games, does not bother to make sure the game is more than "mostly functional" for Keyboard+Mouse. The PC version of Dark Souls even warns against using anything other than a controller, though pretty much any type of controller will work, doesn't have to be an XBOX/PS one. FYI, this is more or less the norm for many games made by Japanese developers, and there are a few other games on PC that often garner a lot of praise and have a similar issue, like the Monster Hunter and Yakuza/Like A Dragon series. (BTW, I love all three of them, but I'm not going to say you're wrong for not like Elden Ring, or dis the other games without making a better effort to bow to the glory that is KBAM.)
On Story: Supposedly, the storytelling and lore for From Software's Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring game is inspired by the Lead Designers experiences of reading terribly done translations of fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings as a kid and then letting his imagination run wild trying to fill in the blanks created by said bad translations. All their games have sometimes significant lore or even plot points that are left largely unsaid or up to the player's interpretation based on what little lore is clearly given through dialog and/or item descriptions. If the initial breadcrumbs and world you've seen entices you, it can be quite effective in drawing you in, but if not it can seem like terrible writing with major plot holes that are never explained.
On Difficulty and being "Souls-like": Obviously the controls were a major impediment, but it's worth noting that "Souls-like" has almost lost meaning, becoming less about describing games that plays like Dark Souls and more about a game that has (or at least, claims to have) Harsh-yet-fair difficulty that punishes mistakes and mindless button-mashing but rewards patience, timing, and perseverance. I mean, if you look up games with the "Souls-like" tag on Steam, 3 of the top 10 suggestions are Hollow Knight (a Metroidvania) Dead Cells (a rougelike) and Wild Hearts (a Monster Hunter-esque game) None of which, I assure you, play anything like Elden Ring.
With all that said, if I were to point to an example of a third person survival craft/sandbox with "Souls-like" gameplay in the broad way it's typically used, the very first thing that comes to mind (at least, that I've actually played) is Valheim. At the very least, it is an example that yes, you can make an all-3rd person survival game that won't have you swearing at the computer because of how often the angle throws off your aim.
