5. DW3
4 Hint 1: One of the earliest games to have an achievement like system.
Hint 2: Also had day/night system and fast travel. Get stronger by training, battling, or finding special items.
Hint 3: 65 Partners: 17+ Ultimates, 29 Champions all with their own unique move and they all have a certain amount of techniques out of 56 total.
Hint 4: The game is entirely open world aside from unlocking a few secret places by doing specific tasks. A big goal of the game is to recruit others to improve the city, and they all give something unique to it.
3 FFVIII
2 FFX
1 Hint 1: My favorite character in this game used to have a skill that allowed him to block and counterattack 20 opposing attacks.
Hint 2: One could fight in the world or join battles to show off your skills. Later, one can team up with a buddy or 2 and fight another group directly.
Hint 3: Once you get max level all you want to do is get better gear.
Hint 4: To get better gear, you go to dungeons. To get even better gear, you go to raids. Sometimes the raid gear would give you extra abilities if you completed a set.