 The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim is an action role @-@ playing game , playable from either a first or third @-@ person perspective . The player may freely roam over the land of Skyrim , which is an open world environment consisting of wilderness expanses , dungeons , cities , towns , fortresses and villages . Players may navigate the game world more quickly by riding horses , or by utilizing a fast @-@ travel system which allows them to warp to previously discovered locations . The game 's main quest can be completed or ignored at the player 's preference after the first stage of the quest is finished . However , some quests rely on the main storyline being at least partially completed . Non @-@ player characters ( NPCs ) populate the world and can be interacted with in a number of ways ; the player may engage them in conversation , marry an eligible NPC , or kill them . As in previous The Elder Scrolls games , killing certain NPCs can make some quests or items unobtainable . Some NPCs cannot be killed . If witnessed , crimes like murder and theft accrue the player bounty points in each of the world 's nine holds . Should the player be stopped by a guard , they may wipe their bounty with gold or jail time , or may resist arrest which will trigger an aggressive pursuit . NPCs may allocate the player additional side @-@ quests , and some side @-@ quests have parameters adjusted based on nearby dungeons which the player has yet to explore . Some NPCs who are befriended or hired by the player may act as companions who will accompany the player and provide aid in combat . The player may choose to join factions , which are organized groups of NPCs -- such as the Dark Brotherhood , a band of assassins -- or the player may choose to destroy them . Each of the factions has an associated quest path to progress through . Each city and town in the game world each has an economy which the player can stimulate by completing jobs such as farming . 
