A tie between companions and battle system.
I love a good party and having multiple options on who your party can be in, hence I am a big fan of Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Ocean, where there is a lot of character development between the protagonist and their companions and even each other. An solo RPG or just 3 people (or only enough to fill the party) is a bit of a turn off but I can deal with it.
I prefer action-oriented miles over traditional turn based. It makes no sense for battles to play out on a turn-based system. I know it's silly to put it into real life but you don't wait for your opponent to attack you and let them hit you without dodging, blocking, etc. I should have the ability to avoid all damage if I have sufficient skill to do so (this has recently been circumvented by healing all members of a party after each battle but my point still stands)
Actually, I think partners is more important in the end. They help me immerse into the game once you can interact and start to care for them.
"Trick shot? The trick is NOT to get shot." - Lucian
