Aside from the obvious, tasteless, YouTube videos that flyable planes might give way to, the main reason for their omission is the pointlessness of a jet when the game is based in a single city. Why (and how) would you fly from The Bronx to Coney Island in real-life? Instead, we get helicopters, which is a great compromise, and certain to be a neat way to get round the city - the final section of the demo focuses on the sheer scale of the game world with Niko surveying an expansive cityscape from the riverside at sunrise. Watching this scene gives us the same feeling as surveying Miami Beach at sunset in Vice City and Los Santos's orange-hued smog in San Andreas - that overwhelmingly dramatic sense of place that only Rockstar seem capable of.
As well as a lack of planes, certain other GTA trademarks have been omitted. The amusing, yet peripheral character customisation elements that allowed you fatten up your CJ or make him strong, are out and Niko's character is more likely to change as a result of certain emotional situations that will arise as the story unfolds. Equally, while the plot still retains a black sense of humour, comedic situations such as driving a Hovercraft through Time Square are not on the cards. Incidentally, boats will still play a big part in transport (what with Manhattan being on an island) as will an underground train network.
