DQ8Recomp

DQ8Recomp

An experimental native port of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for PlayStation 2, built with PS2Recomp. The game's MIPS code is translated to C++ locally and linked to a runtime that implements the PS2 services it uses. Graphics use SDL3 GPU or a software reference renderer.

This is a development project, not a finished port. The NTSC-U version (SLUS_212.07) boots, loads saves, and reaches field gameplay, with sound from the game's own drivers. Sustained playable performance and full-game compatibility are still in progress. The PAL configuration is incomplete.

Play it

You need:

• a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux, with about 8 GB of free space;
• a disc image (an .iso file) made from your own copy of the North American release of the game (SLUS-21207).

Nothing from the game is downloaded: the launcher builds the game on your computer, from your disc.

1. Open the latest release, scroll down to Assets, and click the file for your computer to download it:

   Your computer	File to download
   Windows	DQ8Recomp-…-Windows-x86_64.zip
   Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer)	DQ8Recomp-…-macOS-arm64.zip
   Mac with an Intel processor	DQ8Recomp-…-macOS-x86_64.zip
   Linux on a PC	DQ8Recomp-…-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
   Linux on ARM	DQ8Recomp-…-Linux-arm64.tar.gz

   Not sure which Mac you have? In the Apple menu, choose About This Mac: "Apple M1" or later means Apple silicon, and "Intel" means Intel. The other files in the list are for developers.

2. Unpack it. On Windows, right-click the file and choose Extract All: the launcher can't run from inside the zip. On macOS, double-click it. On Linux, use your file manager's Extract.

3. Open the launcher.

   • Windows: open dq8-launcher in the DQ8Recomp folder. If Windows says it protected your PC, choose More info, then Run anyway.
   • macOS: the app isn't signed yet, so macOS blocks it. The first time, open Terminal, type xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine (with the space at the end), drag DQ8Recomp Launcher onto the Terminal window, and press Return. That unblocks the app and the tools inside it. Then double-click the app.
   • Linux: open dq8-launcher in the DQ8Recomp folder.

4. Drag your disc image onto the launcher's window, and go through its pages with Continue. If something is missing, such as a C++ compiler, press Install for me; your computer may ask for your permission.

5. Press Start building. The first build takes about ten minutes on a recent computer, longer on an older one. Then press Play.

Your game files and saves are kept in a DQ8Recomp folder in your home folder; the launcher's Options page can choose another before you build. To update, download the latest release again and open it: your saves stay, and the build only redoes what changed. In the game, F1 opens the menu for controls, display and sound. Running and controls lists the keyboard and gamepad buttons.

Build from source

This repository provides tools, runtime code, and configuration; it does not provide the game, a BIOS, or a prebuilt game executable. You need your own lawfully obtained game dump.

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/Sinan-Karakaya/DQ8-Recompiled.git
cd DQ8-Recompiled

Follow the build guide to generate the game code and build the runtime. A default CMake build produces a stub executable, not the game.

• Running and controls
• Architecture
• Tests and debugging
• Status and priorities

The launcher from a checkout

The launcher checks the disc, copies its files, translates and compiles the game, and starts it. From a checkout, it uses the tools on your machine, and can install what is missing:

cmake -S tools/launcher -B build/launcher -G Ninja
cmake --build build/launcher

Then open build/launcher/DQ8Recomp Launcher.app on macOS, or run build/launcher/dq8-launcher on Linux and Windows. dq8-launcher --build --disc <image.iso> runs the same build without the window.

Each push to main is published to Releases, named by its commit's short hash. A release download carries everything the build needs (the source, CMake, Ninja, Python, SDL3, FFmpeg and the libraries the build would fetch) except a C++ compiler, which no release may include; the launcher installs that through the system: Apple's Command Line Tools on macOS, Visual Studio Build Tools on Windows, the distribution's packages on Linux. python3 tools/launcher/payload.py --out build/payload assembles a release's payload, as the Release workflow does for each platform: macOS on Apple silicon and Intel, Windows on x86-64, Linux on x86-64 and ARM64.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTE.md for the workflow, testing expectations, and rules for handling game data. Performance, compatibility, tooling, and documentation contributions are welcome.

Directory	Contents
src/runtime	Entry point, overlay dispatch, and game-specific integration
src/gfx	GS state, memory, trace replay, and SDL GPU renderer
src/ui	In-game menu (F1): display, sound, controls and quality-of-life settings
config	Version-specific function maps and recompiler settings
tools	The launcher, extraction, analysis, code generation, and tests
thirdparty	Pinned PS2Recomp, SIMDe and Dear ImGui submodules

Documentation is maintained in the wiki.

License and attribution

Project code is available under GNU GPL version 3. Dependencies retain their own licenses; see NOTICE.

This is an independent project, unaffiliated with Square Enix, Level-5, or Sony. Dragon Quest and PlayStation names belong to their respective owners. The project license grants no rights to the game or its assets.