Progression spoilers

You've seen the teasers for Kratos' reveal for the PSN version of Shovel Knight -- no surprises there.

But how you actually unlock him is another beast entirely, so beware of spoilers ahead for a rather cryptic method in regards to his secret battle. Also, you can get a load of the entire boss fight below.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a full rundown of Shovel Knight on the PS3, PS4, and Vita, once I've had a chance to beat it.

The unlock:

Basically, you'll need to access the Hall of Champions first on the world map -- you can get there in roughly 30 minutes, and it essentially marks the mid-way point in the game. Go up the first ladder, and head all the way to the right. Blow through the false wall, go to the end of the corridor, and use your downward strike. The scroll to unlock Kratos is in that room.

The fight:

The phrase "epic" gets thrown around entirely too often these days, but this is one badass boss. I may have beaten him on my first attempt, but I had a decent loadout and he put up one hell of a fight. I wouldn't exactly call it a system selling encounter, but it was really fun. He also gives you a special item that you can see at the end of the video.

The reward:

If you take the item back to the blacksmith in the second town, he'll forge it into a special armor called the Armor of Chaos. It's a brand new set of armor that allows you to use Kratos' Blades of Chaos in-game.