Superb cinematics with engaging storytelling, excellent motion capture and some of the finest voice acting in gaming.
While I can't fault either charge, I think it's worth commenting on what Heavenly Sword does exceptionally well that makes it a worthy rental if not a purchase.
While neither the storyline nor the setting are unique, Heavenly Sword draws you into the fable with some superb cinematics replete with excellent motion capture and some of the finer grade voice acting you'll see in a video game title. The characters have exactly that - character - something sorely lacking in the majority of titles, especially those in the action genre.
The combat does tend to get cluttered at times making it somewhat difficult to evade and block attacks at times, but in general the system of combos and special attacks works very well and segues beautifully with some tasty coup-de-grace cut scenes.
Certain sections of the game seem drawn out or tacked on, but by and large it remains interesting throughout. You may find yourself looking forward to the next cutscene not so much because of poor quality gameplay as the beautifully rendered story, superb animation and heartfelt acting.
If you're after a beat 'em up with style and appreciate depth in storytelling, I would recommend purchasing this title. For the less discriminating fight fan, the short nature and potentially limited replay value of this game might make it a better rental.