A little essay on why I found Bloodborne to be so engaging despite my checkered history with the Souls series. Includes some comparisons between the various entries in this long running series as well as an analysis of the ways that Fromsoft incorporate ideas and concepts from some of my most- and least-loved 16-bit action games. Also includes a lot of Shinobi III and cello talk, so you have been warned.Includes additional music from https://diie.bandcamp.com/album/diie-entertainment-system and https://yumenikki.bandcamp.com