Hidden Endgame Reward!

The only reward for completing the storyline is hidden just before the final exit!
The words "Hidden" and "Endgame" are in the title, that was your spoiler warning.

The End of the End of the Road

After the walking portion, you'll see the car waiting for you. Look behind it:


The Shocked Tourists are the lock... a gun is the key!

I prefer to use the Flare Gun as a firearm just for the satisfaction.
(I am a Texan; the anomalies of the PNW were not prepared for me.)
However, the closest tourist can be triggered anyway you see fit.
Be warned, it is possible that the chain reaction will fizzle prematurely if one of the dominoes doesn't cooperate. If that happens, you'll have to shoot the chain's weak link yourself, from a distance, to make sure there are no survivors.
So just to be safe, make sure you carry two guns!

Once you are the last man standing, a god-tier engine will fall from the heavens:

It has double the power, half the fuel, 840 HP, and 30% resistance to Impacts and Explosions but suffers triple Piercing damage so watch out for spikes because it can't be repaired!


As you can see, the final reward that was nearly lost at the bottom of the Well is a high-tech engine perfectly fitting your favorite ride... who is probably still running the same stock engine she came with...

so why are we still here? (Just to suffer?)

The Streets Ahead

This is when you discover that the real reward was being set free from the vibe-killing plot that no one wanted and, of course, the one true friend you made along the way!

So how good is the magic engine?
What is horsepower anyway? After all, a car is not a horse (obviously, duh). So what gives? What does it all mean?

Well, the short and easy answer is about an extra 15-20mph cruising speed and much faster acceleration but at the cost of half your effective fuel capacity.

The low mpg can be countered most effectively by carrying a large fuel can or two; although, this just translates to costing storage space instead. Alternately, one could sacrifice a seat rack for an extra gas tank but that seems like an even steeper cost to me (and also it stinks up the car).

It seems that the main gameplay benefit is not actually top speed but eliminating the need for Nitro Boost in some situations where rapid acceleration would be desired, such as quick take-offs.

The End of the Guide

As an extra tip, red paint and the flames decal can be used to further increase your cruising speed to 69 mph!

[acosnil]

The LIM shield should go on the front bumper and the Nitro boost on the rear.


Once you learn how to use the LIM shield properly, the lost mitigation wont matter nearly as much. Just remember to run with an expanded battery (and fuel tank) and to have as many power-regenerating add-ons as possible. I usually run three turbines and a hydroelectric.

[Nathan AMG]

I have the Turbo engine, Armoured Front bumper & LIM-Shield rear bumper...I got the Nitro Boost bumper upgrade :(

[Trash Panda Express]

I replayed the ended to get that bobblehead achievement, And to complete this guide. I went in with an AMP engine, armored front bumper and LIM shield rear bumper. I got the LIM chip engine, and I do not have the blueprint unlocked. Thanks for posting this, free LIM engine! :)

[Shiva]

That's interesting. Maybe someone smarter than I can figure it out from the game's code...

[EatAtJoes]

No, never bothered with the engines in any way. Never unlocked any new blueprints for it, never even replaced my own. Starting engine served me well enough, but I was still excited for the LIMgine. I have to wonder if it's just random chance, a value decided from the very start of the playthrough.

[Shiva]

@EatAtJoes, did you have the LIM Chipped Engine blueprint unlocked tho?

[EatAtJoes]

I don't believe that engine has anything to do with it, at least not to the degree we're assuming. I managed to get to the end without ever upgrading my engine, but still was given the nitro boost.

[Shiva]

That was my first guess as well. It is really unfair to gyp players that decided to focus engine upgrades (without warning). Basically, your peculiar bumper was the developers' way of saying you "played wrong".
If you made it to the Well with a maxed out engine, they should have given you a Chrono Dilator not a lousy, cheap-to-build bumper!!
I am pissed off on your behalf.

I must, however, disagree profoundly that the LIMgine is even remotely "OP". It basically just makes the car handle more like a modern one, which is nowhere close to game-breaking.
It is an end-game QoL improvement not a mind-blower.

From what I've gathered, unless we are completely off base, even having the blueprint unlocked will prevent you from getting the proper reward. Now I'm trying to decide if I should add "Ignore Engine Upgrades and rush the main quest!" to the guide...

[Maladapted]

I'm pretty sure what you're getting is a "gift" to get you out of there faster. The LIM Engine is the most OP engine, the Nitro Boost has an activated ability to speed you up. I went in with a LIM Engine and no Nitro, so I got the Nitro Boost. If I'd gone in with a Carburated Engine, I expect I'd have been given the LIM Engine.

[yosa thinker]

unlocked the lim engine but never built it