The East has finally caught up with the West: retailers other than Big Bad Toy Store have opened pre-orders for Square-Enix's Play Arts Kai Lara Croft.

While many are familiar with Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise, quite a few people may look at this figure and not recognize the character. Lara Croft was radically redesigned for the Tomb Raider reboot and the Play Arts Kai Lara Croft reflects that new style. In fact, a copy of this figure is even included in the Tomb Raider collectors' edition.

If this Lara Croft look a little dirty, it's due to the design rather than some sort of defect. In the upcoming Tomb Raider, Lara will show the effects of trekking through the island as the game continues and this slightly dingy additional paint app reflects that. Beyond that, Lara Croft features one of the best female molds seen in the Play Arts Kai line thus far. Lara Croft comes with a slew of accessories including a shotgun, a pistol, a bow & arrow, and some sort of pickaxe along with alternate hands.

The name Tomb Raider doesn't seem to carry the same clout nowadays, given the success of similar franchises like Uncharted (it's worth mentioning the Uncharted series' protagonist, the very awesome Nathan Drake, is also getting a Play Arts Kai figure). That said, the Tomb Raider reboot is exciting and I can't help but love the new Lara Croft.

The Play Arts Kai Lara Croft is slated for an adventurous April release.

[ Pre-order at Hobby Search | AmiAmi | Big Bad Toy Store ]