Creating 'Darker' Video Games

So I recently picked up Halo 2. I won't sit around here and tell you it's one of the best games ever, you can read all that on your own if you'd like. It's a fun game, especially the multi-player aspect if you just want to run around with some friends for a couple hours. One thing I'm a bit disappointed with in the single player campaign is the level lighting. At least in the early levels. I don't think this has to do with my TV, because my TV seems to display most games, even games that are a bit darker in nature, just fine. But some of these early levels just seem to dark. In the sewer, on the ship, in the subway...the lighting just isn't bright enough for my tastes. Squinting at the screen to try and see if something is lurking in a corner just isn't fun (NOTE: all multiplayer maps I've played don't suffer from this issue).

So that got me thinking of recent trends in the game industry. Some newer games seem to be peddling this idea of a 'Darker' game. This doesn't directly refer to the lighting and setting, but more the attitude and feel of the game. For instance, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is being marketed by Ubisoft as being a much 'Darker' game than it's predecessor, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. In terms of Darker, they are referring to a hardened protagonist, more brutal fighting system, etc. But at the same time, the levels and the look of the game has plainly become much darker, with more shadows and grays.

I guess what I'm getting at is: is this a good thing? Why are so many games trying to both feel 'Darker' in nature, which inevitably leads to games looking darker? Doom 3 was almost impossible to play on my old Gateway monitor because the environment was so dam dark. I had to go out and buy a new monitor (which I needed to do anyway) to enjoy that game. Killzone, the recently released FPS for PS2, is also very dark. Haven't we seen enough corridor shooters with low lighting the last 5-7 years? Why can't games start breaking out of that mold? Far Cry is one of the best looking games I've seen in a *long* time, and a lot of that is due to the vast, tropical, COLORFUL landscapes it presents. Even Counter Strike: Source looks very bright on nearly every machine I've tried it on. Judging by the trailers, Half Life 2 appears to be the same way. Do these 'Darker' games have to have darker lighting? Could the Prince of Persia: Warrior Within achieve the same 'Dark' feel if it took place in the streets of Cairo, colors abound?