No, the headline is not hyperbole. I had a chance to sit with Project Lead Brad Muir and Lead Programmer Chris Jurney as they gave me an in-depth tour of their upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game, Trenched. Not only were they two of the funniest people I met at E3, but they also showed great confidence in their game -- one that stemmed from practically nothing.

“[Double Fine head Tim Schafer] split everyone into teams and gave us two weeks to design a game prototype,” said Muir. “He gave us complete freedom to do what we wanted. At first, we were pretty fuckin’ stressed. I mean, two weeks isn’t a lot of time to make anything. We thought of a simple idea, though, and cooked up a decent demo that won us the competition.” That demo turned into Trenched.

A Farewell to Legs

Trenched offers a lot of what you’d expect from Double Fine Productions: great aesthetics, chuckle-worthy humor, and a creative form that sets it apart from others in its genre. The game places you in the “Mobile Trench Brigade,” a regiment of soldiers who use gigantic mechs to battle the insane Vladamir Farmsworth’s army of television robots, or “Tubes.” Frank Woodrof -- a grizzled, legless World War 1 veteran -- gives you your orders from the bulky confines of his iron lung.

If this sounds absolutely ludicrous to you, congratulations; you’ve just realized the point of Double Fine’s existence. The setting is only augmented by the clever application of tower-defense gameplay. For those of you who could never get into this otherwise passive genre, you’re in luck: You have a giant, dieselpunk mech at your control.

Sergeant Torque

Your choice of play style is split between two types of mechs: engineering and heavy. Engineering mechs specialize in stationary defenses; turrets cost less and their production is quicker and more efficient. If babysitting a stronghold isn’t really your thing, though, then heavy mechs are loaded with the best equipment to ensure that Tubes will wish they’d never been invented. Both shooting and turret placement are required to successfully protect against swarms, but it’s up to you to find a comfortable balance of the two.

Whether it's with four others via online co-op or by yourself, load up that custom mech and prepare to kick some serious TV tail when Trenched hits the Xbox Live Arcade on June 22.

Looking for more E3 news, previews, videos, and analysis? Check out our E3 2011 Coverage Hub.