In "The Imperial", the player assumes the role of Vincent Woods, a private investigator that has had his whole life turned upside down. After a few very unsuccessful cases, his wife leaves him, he loses his home and the one thing he is left with, is a deteriorating practice, and a deep depression that forces him to turn to antidepressants and painkillers. His chance comes when he receives an invite from one of the most prestigious hotels in the city - "The Imperial". Wondering what would spark such a spontaneous invite, he heads off for the monolith building, where upon his arrival, he is informed by the hotel manager that he is to investigate the case of a few disappearances that scarred the hotel's reputation. Intrigued, but nevertheless cautious about the sudden turn of events, Vincent Woods took the case. He would find out that his luck just ran out.
Painkillers is an interesting mechanic, that works a little bit like the light from Amnesia. You take painkillers when you are feeling especially dizzy and your sanity is almost gone, and to keep ghosts and wraiths at bay. They are in short supply, though, and most of the time they are so scarce, the player is actually pressed at times to play at almost overwhelming difficulty.