Saints Row The Third is an open world action-adventure video game that takes a postmodern approach by blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Players can explore the city of Steelport and complete missions as the leader of the Third Street Saints gang. The game incorporates elements of hyperreality by allowing players to listen to real music, transform their character, and use cheats to warp instantly across the map. It also features bricolage through a non-linear narrative that gives players freedom to choose missions and cause chaos without consequences in the game's world.

1. SAINTS ROW THE III
Postmodernism

2. WHAT IS SAINTS ROW THE THIRD?
Saints Row The Third is an action
adventure open world video
game developed by Volition Inc. and
published by THQ. It was released on
November 15, 2011 in Australia and North
America, and was released on November
18, 2011 in Europe for Microsoft Windows,
PlayStaion 3 and Xbox 360. The player, as
the leader of the Third Street Saints, can
explore the new city of Steelport,
performing main missions that progress the
game's story, and side
missions. Successful completion of
missions can earn the player in-game
money, weapons, cars, and respect.

3. HOW IS IT POSTMODERN?
In the game users can simply drive around in any type of car that they want,
while listening to radio stations with real music that users would hear by artists in
reality e.g. Kanye West. The idea of integrating music that they hear in reality
into the game not only illustrates intertextual references but it also shows the use
of Baudrillard‟s theory of „Hyperreality‟.
The use of hyppereality is evident
throughout the entire game, the video
game is perceived as a second life as the
user can go around the city as a totally
different character planning their
lives/decisions which will ultimately effect
their game play, so much so that they can
actually become a toilet instead of a
“human” throughout the game. As a result
the game blurs the boundaries between
what is real and what is not.

4. INSTANTANEITY
The game also has the ability for users to cheat in the
game as discussed before users can use cheats to
magic up different pieces of transportation in front of
them that will ultimately benefit them in the game and in
missions meaning in some cases they have the
advantage of completing a certain mission faster.
Overall, these cheats are very unrealistic however still
entices users into the hyperreal world.

5. CONFUSION OVER TIME + SPACE
Confusions over space and time is
evident in Saints Row The III as users
are able to transport to different parts
of the map whether it be through a
cheat or by getting a piece of
transportation e.g. A car or helicopter
to magically appear right in front of
them. In addition, users are always
going from one mission to another to
free play each time their surroundings
and time is changing once again
illustrating how there is consistent
confusion over time and space.

6. BRICOLAGE
Saints Row The Third also incorporates
bricolage as there is not set or structured
narrative as it doesn‟t follow a certain story
line. Instead users are able to choose
different missions which involve different
characters each time; additionally, users
can decided when they play a mission or
simply in „free mode‟ where users can
shoot/ run over civilians, take part in police
chases, blow up cars again reinforcing the
hyperreality approach within the game.
Overall, this is perceived as a postmodern
text as users have their own choice and
therefore have nearly no boundaries within
the game.