The worst part about Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition is that little disclaimer at the start of the core rule book which claims this edition is a "re-imagining" of the game, and that elements of prior editions need not apply.
Now, I understand why they did this. The reproductive aspects of Garou in editions past were very uncomfortable, as were the heavy associations between Werewolf Tribe identity and stereotypes of real world cultures, however I think as Werewolf 5th Edition has gotten more and more source books (which have all been excellent, by the way), this "re-imagining" disclaimer has just become less and less true, especially with the return of Zhyzhak in Wyrmtide.
I also think that claiming a re-imagining wasn't totally necessary. The World of Darkness is a place of deep surreality, and Werewolves are closer to that surreality than anyone, being partially of Spirit. The writers could have found a way of altering the essence of the Garou to no longer be predicated on predatory breeding practices and a forbidden pairing of Garou and Garou that reeks of subtextual homophobia and eugenics advocacy. I think it would have been really interesting if the writers had taken the birth of the Perfect Crinosborn (I decline to use the prior editions' term for them out of respect for the Métis people) as an event which ripples throughout the physical and spiritual worlds and fundamentally alters the way Garou work. The World of Darkness functions often on world-bending events that heavily alter the status quo.
All this being said, I think ignoring that Re-Imagining disclaimer has no real negative impact on the game as you play it - in fact, I think treating 5th Edition as a continuation enhances the feeling of growing terror and establishes what it means to exist in the Age of Apocalypse. Allow me to demonstrate:
Take, for instance, the Umbra; once, it was a place of serenity and spiritual harmony, the Garou could travel there as an innate ability in and of themselves, and remain there for as long as they liked, provided they mind their manners around the Spirits they meet there. Moon Bridges would criss-cross through the Umbra, connecting Caerns from far flung corners of the world and allowing the Garou to mobilize rapidly to any front in the War against the Wyrm on a global scale.
Now, the Umbra is a place of utter destruction and devastation. The Gauntlet has calcified, rendering the Garou ability to Step Sideways inert, leaving it up to the Theurges to develop a new Rite to cross into the Umbra. It takes longer, and has greater risks. The Umbra itself is hostile to the half-spirit Garou; staying in the Umbra for more than a scene takes its toll on your Willpower and eventually your Health. The Moon Bridges are destroyed, rendering each Caern weaker, more isolated.
This extends into other changes in 5th Edition as well. The Crinos form, formerly stable and relatively comfortable to maintain, is now constantly on the very edge of Frenzy, needing constant expenditure of Willpower to maintain. All of these changes 'nerf' the Garou and their capabilities, yes, but I think it has the effect of increasing the dramatic tension of the setting, and reflecting the ever-worsening climate apocalypse the Garou (and we in the real world) inhabit.
There are also even cases where treating 5th Edition as a continuation enhances the Tribes too. Not to even mention that at time of writing there is very little new lore on the Tribes most heavily altered between editions, I would like to take the Black Furies as an example here. In prior editions, the Tribe once associated with Pegasus had a strict membership policy of "female only". This reflects the outdated but of the time more popular bioessentialist theory of Women's sovereignty, using things like having a womb and the ability to become pregnant as core, essential signifiers of women's identity. I am a Trans Woman and do not have the time right now to get fully into why this mode of thought sucks and is inoperable. Returning to my point, The Black Furies once held this as part of their Tribe identity, but in the new Edition, have shed this policy. If taken in continuity, this tells of a Tribe once wrapped up in an archaic and bioessentialist mode of thought growing and undergoing Tribe-wide character development. This to me is more compelling than if the Black Furies had always been as they are.
The inter-edition changes demonstrate an aspect of the Garou Nation and its constituent Tribes as being in motion, introduces dynamism to the setting and Garou social structures that makes the setting richer for it.
I'm gonna take this even further. If you're a fan of the old Get of Fenris, I do not automatically think you're a Nazi or fascist (your behaviour otherwise will tell that tale), however, even you must be aware of Camps such as the Sword of Heimdall which exemplify the absolute worst aspects of the Tribe even in Classic Werewolf. The way this story goes if taken into continuity (even though even now Werewolf 5th Edition still calls the predecessor to the Cult of Fenris "Wolf's Tribe", the Cult of Fenris being so named is an obvious and probably deliberate reference), is that the Get of Fenris, for yes all of its genuinely good aspects, was infiltrated, appropriated, and taken over my malicious actors, and their presence became so dominant in the Tribe that the only options for everyone else was to convert, die, or Renounce Fenris. The Renunciates of Fenris thus far only have the one Loresheet in the Core Rulebook at time of writing, but they're one of the most compelling elements of the new edition in my opinion. Now, speaking to Get of Fenris fans, does it suck that your favorite Tribe got aped by Hauglosk and radicals and bad actors? Yes, absolutely. I would have it too, but, hear me out: The Renunciates of Fenris know that, and are there to give voice to that grief. Their Tribe, the group and Patron Spirit they've invested their whole purpose and worldview into, has become lost to its Hauglosk, and there's resonance in that that I think is incredibly valuable as something to explore in storytelling.
The Garou Nation has become the Shattered Nation, the Tribes dwindle and evolve (or devolve, depending on your perspective), the Umbra and its inhabitants have become hostile to you, and even the War Form is haunted by the biting flame of Frenzy. This is the Age of Apocalypse, the Wyrm and its agents are stronger than ever, but the Garou are still here, and the fight must go on.
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Blood-Dimmed Tides was a World of Darkness supplement that took me a while to come to love.
I'm not scared of the ocean, particularly. I'm a certified diver - I have an affinity for the depths, if anything. So for me, depictions of monstrous sea life and whatnot always felt more silly than anything else. I still think they're silly.
But that's not everything in Blood-Dimmed Tides. Blood-Dimmed Tides understands and cares about the ocean as setting - not merely a gimmick for those scared of the sea, but a self-contained vessel for stories unique to its own attributes. Every aspect of the ocean as it relates to the World of Darkness is covered in loving detail, each uniquely tailoring the swallowing whole of the sea towards the themes of its core game line.
Certainly fearing the ocean would help, but the work is not reliant on it for horror. It uses the isolation and wildness of the waters to tell stories only the waters can. It is a world to which we are unaccustomed, unable to conquer - it remains over us, in many ways. At sea, you're not working at full capacity - you can't, you're not made for it.
But that sound coming from beneath the hull?
It's made for this. And it knows. you aren't.
It's certainly not a good introductory setting for World of Darkness, though - a lot of the writing feels reliant on having a basis for the world as a whole to truly appreciate what's been put here, but that's a chronic White Wolf problem. If you're a classic World of Darkness veteran, however, I highly recommend giving this a read, if not a run. I Imagine it would make for an excellent short-term chronicle between larger games (though, personally, I'm not certain how well it would hold for extended periods of time).
For all the edgyness and praisings of the world of darkness for being «mature» in its theme, I think a lot of the appeal of it for me comes from the prolongation of cartoons I watched as a teen and the superhero-like double life but with an added masquerade. Like, on one hand you’re a normal teen on the other hand you’re part of a hidden world of supernatural beings where you have to save the day on a daily basis but also unlike for instance, like, spider man, nearly no one is aware of this hidden world and hiding the supernatural activities lead to funny hijinks & quiproquo.
