Nah, it's a bike... looks solid, as long as you get the right size, you shouldn't have any problems. Just make sure you get it assembled and adjusted if you don't know how to do it. A well-adjusted cheap bike is better than an expensive bike that nothing works right on. You will probably have to pay a shop to adjust everything, but it'll still come out cheaper than buying directly from the shop, and they still get a little money.

700x32 tires, eyeholes for fenders and a rack, Sora derailers, 8-speed rear. Looks decent, will get the job done, I'd go for it. As other have said, it's the little extras that add up the cost. Bags, fenders, lights, reflective stuff (you will definitely want some of that), helmet, gloves, and such. You can commute without any of those things, but they will make it much more enjoyable.

The main gripe people have with BikesDirect is you can't test ride the bikes, and they usually need adjusting and tweaking, i.e. they're not rideable out of the box. If you can take care of that, I see no problems.