For instance, the Civ games are basically Whig History: The Game, presenting liberal capitalism as the ideal end point for all societies. It even includes uncivilized “barbarian tribes” whose sole purpose is to be exterminated so you can take their land for the glory of capitalism.
ARMA 2 almost reads like a deconstruction of post-9/11 war fever to me. It starts off with everybody on an aircraft carrier hooting and hollering about going to war to kill the baddies, and then the whole game is spent shooting at smudges in the far distance while both yourself and all of your friends can die instantly at any moment. Then the game ends and the whole war has basically accomplished nothing except making you feel terrible.
CoD realized that in order to do war propaganda well you have to be incredibly unrealistic.