The cutscenes are pretty good, but you don't get a feel for being "The Commander" the way you would watching RED ALERT cutscenes.
Hell, I probably spent more time bless'ed around with the off road tank than I did on the storyline missions in the first one.
Honestly, Eden prime was the lousiest of the missions, because it's essentially the tutorial. You can steal the gear off the redshirt for the replay for some starter cash.
Since I bless'ed despised the 360 controls, I used the medical clinic money glitch, which saves a lot of time. The Fallout 3 money glitch was easier, but operates on the same concept.
And of course, you have to check out the "Mass Effect Gamer Poop" vids on youtube, where video editing makes EVERYONE on the Normandy inappropriate.
From Commander Shepard declaring his undying love for steak, his promises of "We'll bang, OK" to such later memes as "BattleTits", you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't check it out.
Mark Meer - who voiced Commander Shepard, regrets that "We'll bang, OK" is not a canon line.
I hate linking to a scab instead of the original content, but...