gaming

Capcom built a custom katana to record raw, scraping blade sounds for Onimusha

Capcom's audio director Shunichi Suwa and the sound team recorded weapon audio for Onimusha: Way of the Sword at the company's Osaka HQ, combining real swords and Foley techniques. They used real swords and scabbards for sheathing sounds but created a specially made, thicker katana with an S-shaped kink to produce gritty, grating blade noises. The team also recorded against metals and stones—including corrugated iron—to generate varied scraping and impact effects, aiming for rough, visceral sword audio to strengthen the game's duelling immersion.

• Audio director Shunichi Suwa led the sound design work during a hands-on session at Capcom's Osaka headquarters.
• Real swords and real scabbards were recorded for sheathing sounds, but a custom thicker katana with a pronounced S-shaped kink was built for scraping and clash effects.
• The Foley recordings incorporated different metals, stones and a corrugated iron bar to create a range of grating, scraping and impact sounds.
• The team intentionally avoided clean katana tones in favor of raw, rough blade audio to better sell the game's melee duels and enhance player immersion.