How CPD648 Started

CPD648 began in 2018 as a personal blog written by two friends who had spent more time levelling alts than was probably wise. The first post was a long, frustrated take on a now-forgotten Korean MMO that ran out of content twelve hours after launch. The piece spread on a few Reddit threads, and the small inbox of game suggestions that followed turned into a beat.

By 2020 we had picked up a small group of regular contributors and a clear editorial scope: long-form, hands-on reviews of online games – MMOs, action RPGs and mobile titles – written for adults who want to know whether a game is worth the next 50 hours of their week. Eight years in, we still publish at the same cadence: slowly, after testing, with the score we would put on a sticker in our own bedroom.

What This Online Game Review Site Covers

Our beat is online games. Specifically:

• MMORPGs: Persistent-world titles, both theme-park and sandbox. See our full MMORPG Reviews hub.
• Action RPGs: Loot-driven hack-and-slash games, isometric ARPGs and grim-soul descendants. See Action RPG Reviews.
• Mobile games: Gacha RPGs, mobile MMOs and high-quality console-to-mobile ports. See Mobile Game Reviews.
• Buyer’s guides: Round-ups, comparisons and “is it worth playing in 2026” follow-ups.

We deliberately do not cover competitive esports titles – they require a different framework than ours – or pure single-player games that have no online component.

What Independence Means at an Online Game Review Site

No Paid Scores

We have never accepted money, free in-game currency, premium currency packs, hardware loans or paid trips in exchange for a review score. If a publisher gifts us a game key the same way they would gift one to a press list, we accept it and disclose it in the review.

No Embargoed Verdicts

Some publishers attach scoring constraints to review keys. We do not sign those. If a publisher requires that a review carry a positive verdict or omit specific criticism, we decline the key and buy the game retail.

Transparent Affiliate Disclosure

Some outbound links to game storefronts are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a small commission. Affiliate revenue never raises or lowers a score – the link is added after the review is locked.

Updated, Not Forgotten

Online games change. When a major patch or expansion shifts the experience meaningfully, we revisit the review and update the score with a dated revision note. We do not silently overwrite old verdicts.

The People Behind the Reviews

The CPD648 review team is small on purpose. We are five regular contributors, plus a copy editor and a part-time community moderator. Each reviewer has a specialism – one of us lives in MMORPGs, another in ARPGs and a third in mobile gacha games – and we cross-edit every piece before publication.

You will see every reviewer’s name and current focus on the page header of each review. We do not publish anonymous editorial. If you have a question about a verdict, the author’s contact details are at the bottom of every post.

How a Review Gets Written

Every online game review on this site follows the same six steps:

1. Initial play: The reviewer plays the game for at least 30 hours, taking field notes across our seven scoring criteria.
2. Draft and self-score: Each criterion is scored independently with written justification. No score is set in isolation.
3. Peer review: A second reviewer who has also played the game checks the draft, flags overstated claims and challenges weak evidence.
4. Copy edit: Our copy editor passes the piece for clarity, structure and house style.
5. Disclosure check: Any free keys, affiliate links or prior coverage relationships are flagged at the bottom of the review.
6. Publication and follow-up: The review goes live, and a follow-up reminder is set for the next major patch or expansion.

The full criteria, weightings and conflict-of-interest policy live on our Editorial Standards page.

Why We Stay Small

CPD648 has had multiple opportunities to expand into an ad-funded content factory. We have turned each one down. Programmatic ads, paid backlinks, sponsored “review” placements – these are the things that kill a review site’s usefulness. Our revenue is a small share of affiliate clicks plus a Patreon-style supporter tier, and that is exactly enough to keep the lights on without selling the verdict.

You can read more about our position on player welfare and responsible play on the Editorial Standards page, and our payment-info practices on the Privacy Policy page.

Reference: Wikipedia – MMORPG.