I was absolutely on edge waiting for this game to arrive on my doorstep and once I started playing, I wasn't disappointed at all.
Heavy Rain is possibly the most epic game I've ever played. It's absolutely intense knowing that if your character dies, the story just continues. Knowing that all your decisions impacts the whole game and the story makes it even more intense. I found myself nervously trying to make sure I made all the right choices so I don't accidentally kill off one of the characters.
The critics were correct in saying that playing Heavy Rain affects your emotions. It takes you through a whirlwind of emotions and knowing that your actions affect the gameplay gives Heavy Rain a whole other dimension to the gameplay.
In a nutshell, if you haven't gotten your hands on a copy of Heavy Rain yet, you should hurry up and get a copy and start playing. You definitely won't regret buying this game. And if you can, try get the collector's edition, the packaging is absolutely beautiful ;D