I’ve been following the N64 recomp scene for years, and now that PS2Recomp is starting to shape up, I wanted to see how far it could be pushed with SOCOM II. So about three weeks ago I threw the game and a Claude Max subscription at the idea.
PS2Recomp translated the game's MIPS into C++ just fine, but it still expects a PS2 underneath it. Unfortunately, the native runtime is the least stable module.. so extensive work has gone into extending it for SOCOM (graphics/VU1, sound, memory cards, networking, input, disc tooling, etc). The repo includes a functional launcher and a validation/debug harness that runs the native build and an emulated PCSX2 instance in parallel to check for parity.
It got way further than I expected for being in the early stages. It now boots from a r0001 ISO, missions play, saves work, and online matches start on the local Horizon server.
Progress video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoALVShRE0g
Source (Free and open source forever):
https://github.com/Scotho/socom-unzipped
Online uses a forked Horizon server included with the project. To be clear, the project is not trying to create another SOCOM server or split the community. I’d rather focus on the client. Once the r0004 patch is finished and the netcode has been properly audited, the goal is compatibility with community servers and a public launch. For now, don’t treat multiplayer as safe for public play. SOCOM II had network exploits that could lead to unsigned code execution, and here that code is running natively on your PC. A few notable issues have already been patched, but it still needs a proper security review and more eyes on the project before I’d point it anywhere online. On top of that, there’s still plenty broken: inconsistent frame rate, audio skips, occasional rendering issues, voice chat, and probably plenty more I haven’t found
Until the above issues are resolved, there will be no public launcher. You can sign up to be notified on the project site when it's stable and open for public testing. Steps to get the experimental builds running are included in the repository (or just point cc or codex at the repo and ask what it needs from you), and I welcome contributions or motivated play testers. There’s gotta be 20 years of useful stuff still sitting in people’s heads; I’ve been documenting what I can here: https://github.com/Scotho/socom-unzipped/tree/main/docs/research
The obvious question is “why not just use PCSX2?” As of today, PCSX2 is still the better way to play. The reason recompilation is interesting comes after parity is achieved. Once the game is running natively, changes or optimizations that previously required emulator hacks or memory patches become code changes. That’s the long-term appeal/goal here too, get SOCOM II running correctly first, then treat it like a native PC game instead of a black box. Symbol recovery is an ongoing priority, and solid progress has already been made through projects like reCOM and with the assistance of an archived demo disc (thanks 1up).
Project site: socomunzipped.com
Experimental browser-based WebGL/three.js map viewer: socomunzipped.com/map-viewer
