My first soulsborne game was Bloodborne and is still my favorite of the FromSoft series with Elden Ring just behind it. Playing Lies of P has seriously reminded me of when I first played Bloodborne and so it probably gets special bonus points just for that. Now I just have to wait until Friday for Lords of the Fallen!
I felt the same way when Dark Souls (and subsequent sequels) came out. Sekiro was the first game I had ever refunded on Steam when I rage quit it after couldn’t get through the tutorial level. I’ve since tried it again and made it to Genichiro but couldn’t beat him as it doesn’t let you grind to level up. It’s truly a game where you have to “git gud” and I’m simply not that good at parrying.
Honestly the only reason I gave Bloodborne a try was because I saw someone else play who was a much worse gamer than I was, it was included on PS+, and I thought the world seemed really interesting. I absolutely do not think this genre is for everyone but when you can beat a boss, the rush is intense and addictive.