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As we near the end of another year, you'd think we'd be at a point where there'd be no new games to really wow us. But then Forza Horizon 5 comes along. 

I remember over 10 years ago looking at racing games and thinking "Incredible." "It's so realistic!" and "How could they ever get better than this?" 

Well, the team at Playground Games have done it (again). 

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There's something exciting about a new area to explore and hundreds of cars to drive, this time we're in the land of extremes, Mexico.

Mountains, canyons, sunny beaches, deserts, rain forests – you name it. It's literally across the globe compared to Horizon 4's English countryside. 

In typical Horizon fashion, the game starts with a bang, showcasing a variety of cars on offer and sending you across the map in style. Cars are being dropped from airplanes and you take the wheel, driving through storms and racing alongside a cargo plane – it's a spectacle. 

You eventually arrive at the latest Horizon festival to hundreds of screaming fans. 

Forza Horizon's developers have learned a lot since Horizon 4, and while there's nothing particularly new in Horizon 5 that will dramatically change the game, they know exactly what works.

I'll be honest, real-life car racing simulators are not my forte, and I'm in no way a 'car person'. I guess you could say I dabbled in the Need for Speed Underground era with a bit of Burnout on the side, but car racing expert… I am not. 

Forza Horizon 5 is the car racing game for non-racing game lovers and racing game lovers alike. 

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There's an in-depth difficulty gauge for players of all skill levels. I found myself taking the novice setting at first and I was winning every race. After my sixth perfect win, a popup appeared asking me if I'd like to increase the difficulty, as I was clearly having an easy ride. 

It's features like this, as well as the game's mammoth accessibility options, that set it above other car racing games. 

Much like its predecessor, large, detailed maps and exploration are at the forefront. There's literally hundreds of icons spread across the huge map pointing out new things to do, the more you progress – the more icons appear. 

It's incredible to think there's DLC to come. 

They've really placed a new focus on exploration in Horizon 5, one recurring task is to locate old, rusting cars in barns spread across the map. You're only given a rough area on where these barns are located. 

Searching the mountains or rainforests to find rundown buildings is a highlight – also missions that require you to snap a photo of something specific. 

The game has a wonderful photo mode, which is almost expected with current-gen games. 

Xbox Series X|S gamers will struggle to notice a huge difference between Horizon 4 and 5 since its next-gen optimisation last year. But comparing Forza Horizon 5 to the original release of Horizon 4 in 2018, it's clear how far we've come.

I spent quite a bit of time switching back and forth between Forza Horizon 4 and 5 to see how different it looked and felt. Thankfully switching between games was headache free thanks to the quick resume feature on the Series X. 

In conclusion, the changes between 4 and 5 are minor, but there's only so much you need to change when you've created something so strong initially. 

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Customising your profile has a couple of new elements to diversify your character, including selecting your pronouns and prosthetics for arms and legs. There are also hundreds of ways to fully customise your cars.

You could spend a hundred hours playing this game and still not see it all. Player made missions are also a bonus, content for this game is theoretically infinite. 

Its soundtrack is full of catchy songs, plenty of 'bangers' (as the kids say) to hype you up as you cruise through Mexico. 

The world of Forza Horizon 5 truly feels alive, the weather is constantly changing, there's real players driving around you and it's highly likely the game knows your name – and says it! A nice little touch that's continued in this latest game.

There's no pressure to do what the in-game characters are asking you to do. From the beginning you're equipped enough with a variety of cars to tackle any challenge. It's this freedom and this structure that launches Horizon 5 to the top of the podium. 

As I mentioned earlier on, racing games aren't usually my jam, but this game is first-rate. It's the best car racing game of the year – and dare I say best car racing game I've ever played. 

5/5 stars

Forza Horizon 5 is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC November 5. It'll also be available on day one through Xbox Game Pass. 

9News was supplied an early review code for the game for the purpose of this review. 

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A state funeral to celebrate the life of Australian entertainment icon Bert Newton will be held next Friday, November 12, in Melbourne.

St Patrick's Cathedral in East Melbourne has been chosen as the location to farewell the TV legend, with the service to begin at 10am and doors opening from 8.45am.

The funeral will be livestreamed via the Victorian Government website and is expected to run for 90 minutes.

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Seating will be reserved in the cathedral for official guests, family, friends and colleagues.

"A fixture of Australian television, Bert brought his wit and energy into our homes over many decades," a Victorian Government statement read.

"He was an entertainer in every sense of the word and this send-off will honour his legacy.

"Family, friends and colleagues will be able to attend the State Funeral Service to celebrate Bert's life and reflect on his contribution to the entertainment industry, numerous charities and the state of Victoria."

All funeral attendees must be fully vaccinated, according to the government statement.

Mr Newton's family has requested donations to be made to VMCH's O'Neill House in lieu of flowers.

Mr Newton, a legend of Australian TV and radio, died at age 83 on Saturday after having his leg amputated earlier in May.

Newton was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, a quadruple Gold Logie-winning entertainer, and a radio, theatre and television personality and presenter.

He first appeared on radio at the age of 14 and at the age of 20 he joined 9News in its Melbourne bureau.

Mr Newton's wife, Patti, expressed her heartbreak over the death of her husband, describing him as "the most wonderful man".

Ms Newton, 76, spoke through tears as she spoke about her husband outside the couple's Hawthorn Ease home on Sunday.

"It's very, very devastating. All our hearts are breaking because he was just the most wonderful man," she said.

The pair had been married for almost 47 years.

"He had such a fabulous attitude," Ms Newton said.

"And he gave us so much joy right up to the end."

TRIBUTES TO BERT: 'We all grew up with Bert, the ultimate showman'

Ms Newton revealed the heartbreak that she missed her husband's final moments.

"I left at ten past seven, and I was just pulling around to come into my driveway and I get the call to say he'd taken his last breath at 7.22pm," she said.

"So, I missed him, but maybe he didn't want me to be there for his last breath."

Tributes honouring the memory of the TV legend have continued to appear in media across the country and online.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews hailed Mr Newton as an "icon" of the state.

"Bert Newton was an icon, a larrikin and a born entertainer," Mr Andrews said.

"We have never known TV without Bert.

"Bert will live on in the memories of an entire generation."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there would "never be another like him".

"There was a familiarity that connected us to Bert, but it also connected us to each other. We could laugh together. That was his gift," he said.

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Life expectancy in Australia continues to increase, with Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory taking the crown for the longest-lived residents.

A baby girl born in Australia today could be expected to live for 85 years, while a baby boy can look forward to 80.9 years, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

"Male life expectancy has increased by 0.2 years since 2016-2018, and by 1.6 years in the past ten years," ABS demography director Lauren Ford said.

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"Female life expectancy has increased by 0.1 years since 2016-2018, and by 1.1 years in the past decade."

That means life expectancy for males has improved at a faster rate than for females.

In 1988, life expectancy at birth in Australia was 73.1 years for men and 79.5 years for women, a gap of 6.4 years. The gap has now narrowed to 4.1 years in 2017-2019.

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"Australians have a higher life expectancy than comparable countries, such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA," Ms Ford said.

Today, an Australian male aged 50 years can expect to live another 32.9 years, and a female another 36.3 years.

The longer life expectancies come because the averages no longer need to factor in youthful deaths.

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Victoria recorded the highest male life expectancy (81.8 years), followed by the ACT (81.6 years), Western Australia (80.9 years), New South Wales (80.7 years), South Australia (80.4 years), Queensland (80.3 years) and Tasmania (79.5 years).

The ACT recorded the highest female life expectancy (85.6 years), closely followed by Victoria (85.5 years) and Western Australia (85.4 years), then NSW (85.0 years), Queensland (84.8 years), South Australia (84.7 years) and Tasmania (83.6 years).

The Northern Territory recorded the lowest life expectancy for both males and females (75.5 years and 80.6 years).

Despite this, male and female life expectancies in the Northern Territory showed the largest gains of all the states and territories over the last decade (2.2 years and 1.6 years respectively).