I really dig that darker set! It does worlds for making the set feel bigger.
As for Palpy's eyes, I say leave 'em the way they were. That was one of the things I always thought was freaky about Palpatine when I saw ROTJ as a kid, so I'd prefer to see it stay. They weren't quite as unsetting as the chimpanzee eyes from the OOT ESB, but they had an effect in the same ballpark, just to a lesser degree.