Armor customization (Halo 3: ODST)

Halo 3: ODST features a simplistic armor customization where one can play as each member of the Alpha-Nine, with each having their own unique aesthetic Bungie-created armor in the game's Firefight mode. Players can choose primary and secondary armor colors, but the armor's main color remains the same (dark gray). Players can also choose whether or not to wear a helmet, unless they are playing as the Rookie or Sergeant Johnson, who cannot remove his helmet and cannot put one on, respectively. Choosing not to wear a helmet does not affect gameplay. Without a helmet, the player still has the same health and stamina, and they can still use VISR mode. Each character has their own unique lines of dialogue which play during gameplay, similar to the Firefight voices added in Halo: Reach as an unlockable item.

With the launch of Halo 3: ODST on PC and the start of Series 3: Recon in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the ODST characters were added to the game's customisation system due to the launch of Firefight as part of the collection. The various characters were added to the season unlock table and can be purchased for. The Master Chief Collection additionally features two skins not available in the base game; the injured Romeo model (as seen following the level NMPD HQ in-game) and a "bug-splattered" Buck, seen in Data Hive and Coastal Highway. The game also features Sergeant Johnson as purchasable for all players, previously restricted to a pre-order exclusive in the original game. Additionally, The Master Chief Collection features the helmet-less edition of each character as a separate unlock to their helmeted incarnation, unlike the original release which only had the helmet-on option as a toggle that was available at any time.