Utility Skill

Utility Skills give characters with Powerhouse or Reflexes skill more options when engaging in melee combat. Most of these skills have the effect of pushing back or knocking down one or more zombies, allowing the player to escape or follow up with an execution move. They also do not require a melee weapon, which makes them especially useful when the character is left without one.

Powerhouse

Unlocked at level 3 of Powerhouse

Shove

• Slow shove guaranteed to knock enemies down. (video)

• Hold (LB + hold Y) or (Left SHIFT + E for PC according to the in-game description, but it does not seem to work. Left SHIFT + Z seems to trigger the skill instead) for a more powerful shove that always knocks enemies down.

Power Kick

• Powerful kick that knocks back and staggers the target.

• Kick attack (Y) or (E) for PC is replaced by a more powerful kick that pushes enemies back and briefly stuns them. (Note: it does NOT knock down enemies)

Reflexes

Unlocked at level 3 of Reflexes

Sweep Kick

• Area attack that has a high chance to trip targets. (video)
• Kick attack (Y) or (E) for PC is replaced by a spinning leg sweep that trips enemies. Although the description says the kick has "high chance to trip", regular and SWAT zombies will always be tripped by it.
• Extremely useful due to very short animation and wide hit area (can hit up to 5 targets). By spamming Sweep Kick and finisher (Z default) player can wipe out hordes solo literally in seconds.

Spin Kick

• A Spin kick sends the zombie flying head first into the wall
• After 3 consecutive Spin kicks...

1/2

• Powerful spinning kick that knocks down a target. (video)

• Kick attack (Y) or (E) for PC is replaced by a very powerful high kick that sends the targets sprawling.

The Spin Kick is arguably the most useful of all Utility Skills for the following reasons:

• It works against Ferals.

• Although the "hit area" for the kick is smaller, it is still capable of knocking away multiple zeds.
• The kick sends the target flying head first to the right of the character. If there happens to be a wall on the way, the impact will shatter the zombie head, instantly killing it. Thus, with careful choice of fighting ground, a character can easily dispatch multiple zombies by using spin kicks alone.