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!
