If we spent the fucking 90s convincing the world that video games aren't real and this don't cause violence in kids, then this entire explanation is pointless. I felt nothing in that scene because video games are not real and I'm playing them to gun down virtual dudes. There's no point in making a meta critique of the FPS genre when video games are not real and everybody playing them knows exactly what they are.

Spec Ops is about as deep as a puddle. I have no idea why people think otherwise.

You also just described every single linear video game ever made. There's nothing special about it. The message in that game is "oooo look at is trying to be edgy".