A month after its launch, a small percentage of players of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered have completed the main questline. This isn't surprising for a game of this nature, as fans are often too engrossed in other activities to focus on the main storyline.

I'm among those fans! Since Oblivion Remastered shadow-dropped on April 22, I've been thoroughly enjoying the game. After exiting the sewers and handing the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre at Weynon Priory, I've deliberately avoided the main questline. Instead, I've joined the Fighters Guild, explored the vast world of Cyrodiil, and completed numerous side quests. I've even attempted to break out of the map boundaries, inspired by another player's adventurous spirit.

Why avoid the main quest? The side quests in Oblivion are incredibly engaging and fun (no spoilers here!), and I'm also trying to dodge potentially challenging parts of the main quest, such as the Kvatch sequence, while keeping my leveling minimal.

It appears many other players are following a similar path. "I'm BUSY doing OTHER STUFF like hunting for SLAUGHTERFISH in Lake Rumare," commented the aptly named redditor MrCrispyFriedChicken in response to the low completion stats for the main questline.

"I've already spent 160 hours in the game, and Kvatch is still on my to-do list," added Roffear. "I'm one of those weirdos who actually enjoys the Oblivion gates, so I won't finish the main quest until I've found and closed all 60 gates in my world," said Ellert0. "44 hours and an entire in-game year later, and I haven't even visited Weynon Priory yet," shared PlayaHatinIG-88. "Those poor Kvatch city guards never stood a chance."

At the time of writing, only 2.97% of Xbox players had completed Oblivion Remastered's main questline, compared to a slightly higher 4.4% on Steam. The difference might be due to Xbox's Game Pass, where many players might have tried the game briefly before moving on. Steam players, having purchased the game outright, are more likely to commit fully.

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Despite the low completion rate, Oblivion Remastered has attracted over 4 million players. Low campaign completion rates are common in video games, whether it's a sprawling, 100-hour open-world RPG like Oblivion Remastered or a shorter, five-hour narrative like Call of Duty. Many games see a drop-off in player engagement shortly after the tutorial or first hour of play.

The stats for Oblivion Remastered might be influenced by the fact that it's a remaster of a beloved game. Players who completed the original Oblivion may not feel compelled to replay the main quest, opting instead to enjoy the updated graphics and new features. Some, like one player who spent seven hours perfectly arranging books for a Dominoes chain reaction, are exploring the game in unique ways.

Thaddeus122 reported being nearly 100 hours into the game without completing three main quests, yet they've finished the Arena and Mages Guild. Their time has been spent "leveling, earning money for homes, closing all the Oblivion gates, the Nirnroot quest, and numerous small quests. And I don't use fast travel at all."