I mean, you're right.. But I can literally shoot civilians in the face in most of the games I have access to right now (Farcry, Cyberpunk).. And lets not forget ID's history (Wolfenstein 3D)... It's maybe distasteful, but it's not really MUCH more distasteful than shooting sprites of pretty much anything else.
I mean.. In a lot of these games, those monsters are at home and we're the ones fucking their shit up? ;)
Eh, leave it to the modders. There was no shortage of fan-made levels that featured some public figure widely regarded as an asshole as a killable enemy, back in the day.
Oh absolutely. There were plenty of Jack Thompson murder simulators on Newgrounds back in the day plus of course various "bomb the Taliban" games around the Afghanistan war. But that's not the kind of output you expect from a seasoned professional under their real name.
I mean, there's the WW2 era Disney and Looney Tunes shorts, but those were propaganda productions that were part of a war effort from a nation directly involved in open conflict and most people today look back at them slightly incredulously if not with disdain.
I mean.. In a lot of these games, those monsters are at home and we're the ones fucking their shit up? ;)