GTA 4 Developer Explains Why There Was No Tank Driving or Airplane Piloting in the Game

Some people were probably disappointed by the lack of controllable planes and tanks in GTA 4. But recently, former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij explained why this feature was removed from the game.

Answering fans' questions on social media, he explained that these vehicles were sacrificed in GTA 4 for the sake of realism. The thing is that the main character Niko Bellic served in the army as an infantryman and would not have been able to operate a tank, especially in Liberty City with its narrow streets, which was copied from New York. The same story is with the plane — although the protagonist had experience piloting a helicopter, he did not have the necessary skills. Therefore, the studio decided that for greater authenticity and down-to-earthness, it was necessary to exclude some equipment.

Earlier, a new version of the Project Thunder mod was released for GTA 4, which de-energizes entire areas of Liberty City during severe thunderstorms.