Many picture the apocalypse with ideas of fear and destruction in mind. However, when taking a look at these movies and videogames, one can see the depiction of nature taking over society and interpret it as a sign of beauty. Sometimes the silence and absence of a busy world now engulfed in raw nature is enough to calm us down.
(Image – Stray (2022). GameRant.com 9 September, 2025 https://gamerant.com/stray-2-cat-sequel-cute-popular-hype/ )
Do you adore cats and cozy videogames? In BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna’s Stray (2022) you take the role of a stray cat wandering around a green, empty world. Stray is a videogame that encompasses the feeling of exploring the world without human civilization and draws the viewer in with its incredible visuals. Though this is a videogame, Stray does still portray a unique story of a stray cat falling into a walled city populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria. The cat then sets out to return to the surface with the help of a drone companion. The impressive visual portrayal of nature combined with the simple gameplay allow for all ages to enjoy this game and calm down with the help of nature.
Are you more interested in dystopian YA thriller movies? In Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner (2014), a teenager named Thomas is dumped into a field in the middle of an extensive labyrinth. He has no knowledge of his previous life and shows unique physical endurance abilities which allows him to become a runner and explore the maze with a group of other teenagers who explore and map the ever-changing maze. With the help of Theresa (the only female), Thomas convinces everyone that he knows the way out. This movie balances a stressful plotline with visuals of mother nature overcoming the otherworldly architecture and mechanisms of the maze. I find this movie incredibly entertaining, with constant action on screen along with a very unique ending.
(Image – The Maze Runner (2014). Amazon Prime Video.com 9 September, 2025 https://www.amazon.com/Maze-Runner-Dylan-OBrien/dp/B00NQFFS5I)
3. Dune
The award-winning movie Dune: Part One (2021), starring Zendaya and Timothy Chalamet, was directed by Denis Villeneuve and follows Paul Atreides, who is an incredibly gifted man born into a destiny far beyond his understanding. He is tasked with traveling to a dangerous outerworldly planet in order to save his family and people. As chaos ensues over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who are able to face their own fear will survive. This movie combines sci-fi, dystopian, and thriller elements into a longer feature film in order to portray the beauty and inner workings of this new planet and its people. If you are a fan of high-quality performances and nature differing from our own on Earth, I would definitely recommend giving this film a watch.
(Image – Dune: Part One (2021). IMDb.com 9 September, 2025 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1160419/)
4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Are you a visual learner? Do you love breathtaking visuals and a storyline centered around saving nature? In Moon Studios’ Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) the player explores a gorgeous world as a character known as Ori, who is separated from his owlet friend Ku due to a storm and crashes in a new land called Niwen. This land is consumed by a mysterious Decay. To find Ku and heal the decaying forest, Ori must journey through the land of Niwen and obtain wisps in order to restore the Spirit Willow. With easy gameplay and an innocent story revolving around the task of helping the environment, Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020) proves to be an amazing, cozy, and entertaining game for everyone.
(Image – Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020). Nintendo.com 9 September, 2025 https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-switch/?srsltid=AfmBOorJZFejjfVC5duQFLN3r0Up3la3xJNQeyslIzN_8TalfvmG3NSY)
(Image – Subnautica Below Zero (2019). TheSinglePlayer.org 9 September, 2025 https://singleplayer.org/2021/06/02/subnautica-below-zero-review)
Are you a fan of marine life? Are you able to brave the creatures of the deep oceans? Dive face first into Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s Subnautica: Below Zero (2019), which features an open world survival game where the player controls xenologist Robin Ayou, who lands on ocean planet 4546B in pursuit of answers about her sister’s mysterious death. The gameplay involves exploring and surviving in alien environments while also completing objectives to advance the game’s plot. Players collect resources, construct tools, build bases and interact with the planet’s wildlife. This videogame can be extremely intense for new players, however it showcases hundreds of unique alien animal designs while giving a raw look of the harsh inner-workings of Mother Nature and the circle of life.
Sophie Tompkins is a sophomore at Indiana University majoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability along with minoring in Fine Arts. This is the start of her second year at Media Services and she is excited to work with Media Services in her upcoming years at the Herman B Wells Library!
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