I agree. This is a David Brooks level of stupid, focusing on aesthetics rather than substance. A
OC is a politician with 4 years of experience from a state with 26 representatives, some of whom have been in the house for 25 years. That she has had to compromise and work within a system is not a great shock -- power is not something she has an abundance of!
Nobody could accomplish what the author seems to want; that doesn't mean AOC has accomplished nothing.
So, the author mentioned a couple of delightfully strange recent games. The thesis of the article is way too broad and unsupportable. If you're sick of mainstream settings, then stop playing AAA games.