Square Enix has announced the imminent release of the Final Fantasy XI Starter Pack for Windows for £5.

The Starter Pack will be released tomorrow. Included are the PlayOnline Viewer, Tetra Master online card game and the original FFXI software. Purchasers will also be able to enjoy a one-month free trial to the online world.

Final Fantasy XI is the first online offering from Square Enix, with over 500,000 active players. The past year has seen massive changes to the game’s infrastructure, as the developers have acted on feedback from the game's fan base and implemented many of their ideas to the growing world of Vana’diel. These include tweaks to the difficulty levels of missions, adjusted drop rates for rare items, the revision of the Signet system allowing players to party more efficiently in smaller groups and the introduction of Chocobo Racing.

FFXI takes players into the aftermath of a great war, as they answer a desperate call to defend their people. In this first ever cross-platform massively multiplayer online game, players unite with other heroes as they attempt to save the world from utter destruction. The adventure continues in multiple expansion packs: Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan and the forthcoming Wings of the Goddess, which will be available in Summer 2007.

FFXI is the first MMORPG capable of simultaneous multiplayer action across three different platforms, allowing players worldwide to combine forces on Windows, PlayStation 2 (North America and Japan only) and Xbox 360.

For more information, visit playonline.com.