I loved Heavy Rain. I've played it several times, getting the multiple endings you can get in it. It's not perfect by any means however. I agree, there is the odd time where the writing isn't quite to standard, and I think they could have done more to make your smaller actions and decisions affect the plot and the game.

Having said that, the game gets downright creepy after awhile and is quite haunting. At least for me, I felt quite involved with some of the main characters, Ethan in particular. Furthermore, there's a real twist in the game that genuinely surprised me.