For AD&D, the combat math is set up so that offense scales much higher than defense does in physical combat. Both offense and defense improve with better gear but the THAC0 adjustment improves offense on top of that. AD&D obfuscates that with the descending AC and THAC0 charts where more recent games simplify the concept with ascending AC and Base Attack Bonus. I don't know if the obfuscation was intentional or merely a side effect of being the first, I'm sure others could answer that better than I. Magic scales in the opposite way, with easier saves and resistant monsters. Does it make complete sense, with every variable having been carefully considered? No. It came out over 40 years ago.
In the late 70's, the Trans Am was a highly desirable V-8 muscle car. Basic 4 cylinder 2020 model cars like a Honda Civic are faster and use a lot less gas as the engineering has improved. But if Mr. Miyagi offered me a choice between those, I'd definitely take the Trans Am. The nostalgia is a big part of the appeal, and so is the style/sensibility.
You mention video games. As a counterpoint, I see a lot of nostalgia for the old, NES era games. Newly created ones like Shovel Knight are very popular, and there is a whole cottage industry around using old consoles and CRT televisions, emulators and the like. And I just don't get it. I played those NES games when they were new and its incomprehensible to me that someone might prefer those to newer games that are exponentially better in every way. But people like them and they aren't "wrong" for that.
The point is, those OSR rulesets don't have to be "for" you. And neither do the modern systems if they don't offer everything you want. Just pick and choose the parts you want. For myself I like the OSR atmosphere and sensibilities, and like the actual mechabnics less. I've run quite a lot of DCC, oD&D, OSR adventures using modern rulesets like 5E and PF2. I liked the rules for those systems but liked the adventures a lot less. Figure out what appeals to your sensibilities, spend some time understanding that system, and then run with it. Nearly anything can be converted.