reading several reviews , hearing its a bit like diablo(never played it) i had good expectations.
i dont normally write reviews or get irriitated by a game (and if i do i just stop playing)
but sacred has some very irritating moments.

1) mindless running around not clear what your main quest is. you can go ride from one town to another do some mindless quests and go to another.
2) the escort quests where you have to bring someone to a place while encountering many foes. they get killed easily and even if you want to try fighting enemies alone they still butt in and get killed
3) no safe zone, the enemies most of the time chasing after you even in a house. and even the towns are invested with enemies
4) the biggest irritation is the mages that are freezing you , especially when there is a mob of them. you cant fight, you cant run.

yet i still keep playing it for some reason i dont know.

anyone else got their opinion on it?

I loved it and didn't find any of the issues you listed to be a problem.

Probably the best game I've bought on here!

I freakin' love it. It's flawed, sure, but the game has such charm that makes me turn a blind eye to many of its shortcomings. My strategy to playing Sacred is to just turn off my brain and enjoy myself.

Not true, the best game you have bought on here is Outcast.

Balancing issues. I've went to a place I wasn't supposed to, killed many strong enemies , and then went back on main quest, and killed everything with single blow through half of the game.

think i have the same i am level 17 and i been to florentina and braverock castle.
when you level up will the mages not freeze you as much or does that stay regardless of level?

Actually from all the clickfest games, I like Sacred most. Unlike most of other such games, it has open world (which is much more believable than one closed valley or forest road leading you to just one place and I hate that tunnel gameplay). Also horses make the travelling much faster.

It is long since I've played Sacred, but I remember being slightly annoyed by 2) and 3).
Generally if you choose the proper skills and invest efficiently in developing the character there are no major issues and the game becomes pretty easy.
I remember it as being a great game.

I enjoyed Sacred Gold myself. The large world to explore took up a lot of my time. Easy to pick up the game play. I left it installed with the intention of playing another game with a different character.

If I had a negative it was the respawn but that became a positive since I leveled up quickly . . . maybe too quickly for some folks. I spent lots of time wondering around just to explore and level my character. The respawned critters seem to leave you alone after you reach a certain level in a given area . . . unless you attacked them.