Rev up those chainsaws because it’s time to kick some Locust butt.

“Gears of War 3” has finally made its way to stores, reuniting many of us with Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad. The game might be a year late, but the wait has definitely paid off.

The final installment of Gears doesn’t disappoint with better graphics, bigger and badder weapons, new creepy crawlies to splatter and Beast Mode (which lets you play Horde from an alien point-of-view, essentially). The storyline has also gained more depth since the last game.

Although there have been numerous changes, the core of the crude shooter remains untouched. The inhabitants of Sera are still battling for the survival of the human race, and the COG soldiers are making another go of eradicating the aliens in one fell swoop.

It’s been two years since Delta Squad sank Jacinto and flooded the Locust tunnels, which makes things more complicated than ever before. Gone are the days of emergence holes. Now, players have to watch out for Lambent stalks, which drop Locust and explode when they die, just about anywhere.

Apparently, the Imulsion didn’t just affect the wretches that were found in the last Gears. Aside from creating a whole new race of aliens, some of the Stranded have become infected too. They’re wilder than even the most annoying Locust aliens.

Also, the uninfected half of Locust horde turned into Savage Locust. Pushed out of their tunnels due to the flood and unable to cooperate with Lambent Locust, the Savages live more like Stranded than the proud tunnel-dwellers they once were.

Despite the spats between the two groups of aliens, Queen Myrrah is still running the show. And she definitely has something in store for Fenix. Early in the game it’s revealed (spoiler alert) his father is still alive, which is the centerpiece of this game’s storyline. Apparently he was kidnapped and it appears Richard Prescott and the Queen share the blame.

The expansion of characters and their individual story lines is one of the most commendable aspects of this game. There are some very moving scenes involving Dom halfway through the game, and after some heartbreaking heroics, we learn Fenix isn’t as hardened over as we thought.

The game is spectacular. The details added to every aspect of the game put a more finished touch on the series. Although I haven’t finished it, I’m certain the game is building up to a very satisfying and fitting, but expected, end.