Capcom has shared new details about the sound design behind Onimusha: Way of the Sword, revealing that the development team created a special custom-forged katana to capture the game’s distinctive blade clashes. Rather than relying solely on recordings of authentic swords, the studio built a unique weapon specifically for Foley recording to achieve the gritty, metallic sound that defines protagonist Miyamoto Musashi’s combat style.
The insight comes from an interview with audio director Shunichi Suwa, conducted by PC Gamer during a hands-on preview event at Capcom’s headquarters in Osaka. As the first mainline Onimusha title in more than two decades, Way of the Sword places sword duels at the center of its gameplay, making realistic and impactful audio a major part of the experience.
Capcom combined real weapons with a custom katana
During the interview, Suwa explained that the audio team did record sounds using genuine swords and scabbards, particularly for actions such as drawing and sheathing weapons. However, the team found that real combat recordings alone didn’t produce the dramatic sound they envisioned for the game’s intense duels.
“Yes, we did use real swords and real scabbards for the creation of sounds, especially for the sheathing actions,”
Suwa told PC Gamer.
Instead, Capcom recorded weapon impacts in a Foley studio using a specially manufactured katana, along with different metals and stones, to create a wider range of aggressive metallic effects.
The custom blade differs noticeably from a traditional katana, featuring a thicker profile and an unusual S-shaped bend near the hilt. According to Suwa, those modifications weren’t designed for combat but for producing a harsher, more textured scraping sound.
Suwa explained that realism wasn’t the team’s only objective. They also wanted the sound effects to reinforce the personality of protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, whose combat emphasizes overwhelming power rather than elegance.
“We weren’t really aiming to have a very clean sound for the swords. We wanted that very raw, kind of rough feel… that really kind of grating, scraping sound,”
Suwa said.
“We really wanted Musashi, while he is a sword master, to showcase the kind of raw strength side of him… We wanted to portray that part of his character through the sounds.”
That approach also helps distinguish Musashi from his rival Sasaki Ganryu, whose swordsmanship is depicted as more refined, controlled, and fluid.
The emphasis on authentic-yet-stylized sound design appears to complement the game’s fast-paced sword combat, which has already drawn positive impressions from early hands-on previews. Reviewers who tested both the public demo and an extended preview at Capcom’s Osaka headquarters noted that each clash, parry, and deflection carries significant weight, largely because of the carefully engineered audio.
Capcom first announced Onimusha: Way of the Sword during The Game Awards 2024, confirming that the action title is scheduled to launch in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. As anticipation builds for the franchise’s return after more than 20 years, the studio’s attention to combat presentation suggests that sound design will play just as important a role as visuals in delivering its samurai action.
