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Contrary to perception, the punishments seen here (as well as that of Sisyphus, which alas proved too difficult to portray in Lego) weren't actually anything to do with the 'afterlife' per se. The only ones who were punished in Hades were those who had transgressed against the gods in some way, usually by seeking immortality or being attracted to a goddess.
The actual afterlife, as in deceased souls, was neither reward or punishment. In Christian terms it had more in common with limbo than either heaven or hell, at least at this point in mythology. Later, elements of reward and punishment were included, but for more typically Greek ideals, such as being a king and dying in battle, than any sense of morals.
Prometheus' punishment isn't unique among underworld-dwellers. It's shared with Tityus (who attempted to rape the titan Leto), but with two vultures in place of a giant eagle, each day eating his liver which each night grows back. Prometheus' myth suggests that this regeneration was a factor of his godhood, but Tityus' version suggests it is an element of the punishment. This actually suggests Tityus' crime was worse - where this torture was the only punishment available to Prometheus due to his immortality, in Tityus' case it's deliberately unending, which is much more unpleasnat.
The inclusion of the liver in both stories is another interesting repetition. The fact that it specifically regenerates over time (which livers actually do) suggests the Greeks may have known some anatomy and surgery skills from very early in their history.